EFCC Receives Petition Against NNPCL Chief Ojulari Amid Resignation Rumours

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has dismissed widespread speculation suggesting that its operatives abducted or pressured the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, into resigning.

According to information obtained by iReporter Online, a senior EFCC official, speaking anonymously, confirmed that although the Commission has received a formal petition calling for an investigation into Ojulari’s activities, no arrest or coercion has taken place.

“These are baseless rumours,” the official stated. “On Thursday, some protesters submitted a petition at our office requesting an investigation into the NNPCL chairman. That is their right. We acknowledged receipt and assured them the matter would be reviewed. The claim that he was abducted is entirely false.”

Similarly, the Department of State Services (DSS) has refuted reports linking its Director-General, Adeola Ajayi, to any alleged effort to force Ojulari out of office. A top DSS source, also speaking off the record, described the reports as “unfounded and misleading,” asserting that the service had no involvement in the matter.

Meanwhile, sources within the NNPCL suggest that friction may be building between Ojulari and some powerful figures within the presidency. Appointed by President Bola Tinubu in April as the successor to Mele Kyari, Ojulari has reportedly operated the company strictly as a commercial entity, with a clear resistance to political interference.

His recent dismissal of several high-ranking officials within the corporation is believed to have unsettled some government actors with political affiliations to those affected. In addition, there are growing suspicions regarding Ojulari’s alleged ties to a prominent opposition figure, which may be fueling discontent in certain quarters of the administration.

While no official statement has been issued by the Presidency or the NNPCL on the matter, political watchers say the developments point to an intensifying internal power struggle within Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.