By Atoyebi Nike
Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has demanded a retraction and public apology from the online newspaper People’s Gazette following a report accusing him of abducting the Group CEO of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, and coercing him into resignation.
The controversial report, published on August 2, alleged that Olukoyede and the DSS Director-General Adeola Ajayi forced Ojulari to resign at a secret meeting in Abuja, acting on the supposed orders of British-Nigerian oil magnate Olatimbo Ayinde, described in the story as a powerful influence in President Tinubu’s inner circle.
In a letter to the publication, Olukoyede’s legal counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN), described the article as “false, damaging, and defamatory,” stating that it unjustly portrayed Olukoyede as having compromised his office under external influence. The EFCC chairman is demanding a full retraction across all platforms and an unreserved apology within 48 hours.
Failure to comply, the letter warned, would result in legal action for defamation, giving the paper “an opportunity to prove” its claims in court.
The EFCC has not commented further on the matter, while People’s Gazette has yet to issue a formal response.
