By Newscount
The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari, has been forced to resign after being allegedly abducted by officials from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Department of State Services (DSS). According to reports, Ojulari was seized on Friday and pressured to sign a resignation letter by EFCC chairman, Ola Olukayode, and DSS director-general, Adeola Ajayi.
Sources close to the matter claim that Ojulari was repeatedly questioned about his possible ties to Olatimbo Ayinde, a British-Nigerian oil businesswoman with significant influence in the Tinubu administration. Ojulari reportedly denied knowing Ayinde, stating that he had rejected her attempts to control businesses at NNPCL. Ayinde is currently facing bribery charges in the UK involving former Nigerian oil ministers.
Ojulari’s resignation has sparked controversy, with some describing the operation as a “coup d’etat” because President Bola Tinubu did not sanction it. Ojulari was appointed in early April by Tinubu, with the Nigerian president citing Ojulari’s expertise in hydrocarbon as a former Shell executive in Nigeria. The circumstances surrounding Ojulari’s resignation have raised questions about undue political interference in Nigeria’s oil sector and the growing influence of Ayinde within the Tinubu administration.
