By Nkechi Eze
The Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ola Olukoyede, has demanded a full retraction and public apology from online news platform, Peoples Gazette, over what he has described as a false, defamatory and malicious publication alleging his involvement in the purported forced resignation of the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mr. Bayo Ojulari.
The report, published by Peoples Gazette on Saturday, August 2, 2025, claimed that Mr. Olukoyede and the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Adeola Ajayi, allegedly “abducted” Mr. Ojulari and coerced him into signing a resignation letter at a secret location in Abuja. The online outlet further insinuated that the action was carried out on the instruction of a British-Nigerian oil magnate, Olatimbo Ayinde, whom it described as a “paramour” of President Bola Tinubu.
In a follow-up article, the platform reported that First Lady Remi Tinubu allegedly intervened to reverse the resignation, and claimed unnamed officials confirmed that the entire move was orchestrated under Ayinde’s growing influence within the administration.
Reacting through a letter addressed to the Editor of Peoples Gazette Limited and signed by his legal counsel, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, Mr. Olukoyede condemned the publications as reckless, damaging, and designed to cast him in a light unbefitting of his office. He described the allegations as fictitious and capable of suggesting that he had “betrayed and subverted public trust by submitting the authority of his public office and trust as Chairman of the EFCC to the dictates and directives of one Olatimbo Ayinde.”
The letter stated that the publications were not only untrue but were clearly intended to malign Mr. Olukoyede’s integrity and mislead the public on the nature of his official duties. “The publications and the imputations conveyed by them are so damning and cannot be ignored or treated with levity,” the letter read.
Mr. Olukoyede, through his lawyer, is demanding that Peoples Gazette publicly acknowledge its wrongdoing, expressly admit that the reports were false, and issue an unreserved apology. He further requested that the offending stories be pulled down from the platform’s website and all associated social media accounts within 48 hours.
Failure to comply with these demands, the letter warned, would result in legal action. Specifically, the EFCC Chairman’s legal team will initiate a defamation suit, giving Peoples Gazette the opportunity to substantiate its allegations before a court of law.
“You will be served with a writ in the tort of defamation in order to afford you an opportunity to prove your disparagement of my client’s character and reputation, especially in the way of the office he holds as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,” the letter stated.
As of press time, Peoples Gazette had not issued a formal response to the legal demand. The EFCC, under Olukoyede’s leadership, has repeatedly emphasized its commitment to transparency, rule of law, and institutional integrity, and the latest development underscores its zero-tolerance stance against misinformation and character assassination.
