Newly appointed NNPC Chairman Arrested in Abuja, Forced To Resign

Newly appointed NNPC Chairman Arrested in Abuja, Forced To Resign

The very core of Nigeria’s oil industry, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has interrogated Bayo Ojulari, Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Limited, three times within two weeks over his alleged entanglement in a $20 million money laundering scheme tied to former Vice President and opposition figure, Atiku Abubakar’s inlaw.

Sources told Peoples Gazette that Mr. Ojulari was seized on Friday night by the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, and the Director-General of the State Security Service (SSS), Adeola Ajayi.

The embattled NNPC chief was reportedly pressured into signing a resignation letter without prior approval or knowledge of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Insiders within the national security architecture described the act as a “civilian coup d’état,” raising concerns about the growing influence of unelected power blocs within Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.

According to highly placed sources, the EFCC is investigating Ojulari’s deep-rooted financial, political, and personal ties to Atiku and his inner circle. At the heart of the investigation is a suspicious $20 million transfer to Abdullahi Haske, a known business associate of Ojulari and Atiku’s son-in-law. Haske’s influence reportedly surged at NNPC Towers following Ojulari’s controversial appointment.

Investigators describe Haske as a conduit between Ojulari and the Atiku family. He is said to have facilitated secret meetings, arranged private jet travel, and gifted Ojulari luxury SUVs worth hundreds of millions in naira. A 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser, Limited Edition currently used by the NNPC GCEO was from Atiku’s inlaw, sources close to Heske and the EFCC disclosed. Meanwhile, Financial records, flight manifests, and call logs reviewed by the authorities reportedly expose a consistent pattern of interaction among Ojulari, Haske, and Atiku, suggesting a tightly woven alliance with political and financial undertones.

Evidence dating back to 2018 allegedly shows that Haske and Atiku-controlled entities received repeated cash infusions leading up to the 2023 elections with transactions now under intense scrutiny. Aviation records also confirm that Ojulari and Atiku were co-passengers on Haske’s private jet on multiple occasions between 2022 and 2024.

The revelations have made Ojulari the first sitting head of NNPCL to face EFCC questioning while in office…barely 112 days after assuming the top job.

His tenure is now shadowed by not just this investigation, but also by a checkered past. Industry insiders recall his unceremonious exit from Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo) following inflated contract allegations tied to the Bonga FPSO project. That case, along with others involving a blacklisted contractor and reported kickbacks, is said to be under renewed security scrutiny.

Meanwhile, Bashir Haske, the embattled associate and alleged money handler has been granted bail but remains under close watch as investigations deepen. Multiple Sources alleged he has jumped bail and out of the country.

This explosive investigation, coming just two years before the 2027 general elections, has sparked concerns that Nigeria’s national oil company may be entangled in a high-stakes political funding operation. Analysts warn of parallels with past scandals involving figures such as Aisha Achimugu and Governor Jide Sanwoolu.

With mounting pressure on the EFCC and the Presidency, the Ojulari-Atiku connection may yet unravel one of the most damning oil-sector scandals in modern Nigerian history.

Source: Peoples Gazette