By Queen Kunde
A coalition of civil society organizations has demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of Bayo Ojulari, the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), over an alleged 34.65 billion naira ($21 million) corruption scandal.
At a press conference held Thursday at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja, the coalition which includes OilWatch Nigeria, Workers’ Rights Alliance, and Nigeria Concerned Citizens accused Ojulari of being the mastermind behind a wide-ranging financial fraud scheme involving shell companies, inflated contracts, and cronyism.
According to the groups, the EFCC had earlier detained Abdullahi Bashir Haske, a known associate of Ojulari, who reportedly confessed during interrogation that the staggering sum of $21 million found in his account was being held on Ojulari’s behalf.
“The evidence is damning. Thirty-four billion naira could have built schools, hospitals, and paid thousands of workers. Instead, it was hoarded while Nigerians suffer,” said Emmanuel Ekpeyong of OilWatch Nigeria.
The coalition pointed to Ojulari’s allegedly lavish lifestyle residing in the Presidential Suite at the Wells Carlton Hotel and a pattern of siphoning funds through fake companies as evidence of high-level abuse of public trust.
A three-day protest is set to begin today, August 1, at key national institutions including the National Assembly, NNPCL Headquarters, and the EFCC Office in Abuja.
The CSOs are also calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to act decisively by firing Ojulari and supporting a full criminal probe. They argue that continued silence from the presidency would signal complicity and erode the administration’s credibility in fighting graft.
“This is a test for President Tinubu’s anti-corruption stance. Nigerians are watching. Will this government protect the powerful or side with the people?” asked Babatunde Anifowoshe of Nigeria Concerned Citizens.
The EFCC has yet to issue an official statement on whether Ojulari will be formally invited for questioning or arrested following Haske’s confession.
Meanwhile, civil society leaders say they will not relent until justice is served.
“We will not rest until Bayo Ojulari is behind bars and the stolen billions are recovered. This is about the soul of our nation,” said Danladi Usman of Workers’ Rights Alliance.
As tensions rise and protesters take to the streets, the Ojulari saga may well become a defining moment in Nigeria’s war on corruption. Whether the law prevails or power protects its own remains to be seen.
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