The Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Mr. Bayo Ojulari, has reportedly been forced to resign under pressure from top officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Department of State Services (DSS).
Mr. Ojulari was allegedly taken by operatives of the two agencies to a discreet location in Abuja on Friday night, where he was compelled to sign a resignation letter.
The operation, which reportedly lacked the approval of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been described by insiders as a “civilian coup” within the administration.
The operation was said to have been coordinated by EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede and DSS Director-General Adeola Ajayi.
Multiple security and law enforcement sources were said to have confirmed the development, suggesting that the motive behind the move was connected to ongoing internal power struggles involving oil industry influence.
Ojulari, who was appointed in April 2025 by President Tinubu following a long career at Shell, was reportedly questioned about his knowledge of Ms. Olatimbo Ayinde, a British-Nigerian oil executive who has recently become a prominent, though controversial, figure in the Tinubu administration.
“He told them he didn’t know Ayinde personally,” The Gazette quoted a source. “He also said he had heard of attempts by her to influence decisions within NNPC and rejected such interference.”