The Department of State Services (DSS) has threatened criminal and civil legal action against Peoples Gazette over a publication alleging that the agency’s Director-General, Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, was involved in the alleged abduction and forced resignation of the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Bayo Ojulari.
In a letter dated August 5 and signed by senior advocate Ayodeji Adedipe (SAN), counsel to the DSS and its DG, the agency described the article as “libellous and unfounded”, stating that it portrayed the DSS as “irresponsible” and its DG as “a hatchet man” acting under political influence.
The controversial report, published on August 2, claimed that Ojulari was forcibly taken and coerced into resigning by DSS boss Ajayi and EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, allegedly acting on the orders of a woman described as Olatimbo Ayinde, whom the article labelled as President Bola Tinubu’s mistress.
The report also included photographs of Ajayi, Olukoyede, and Ayinde, which the DSS argues were intended to malign further and defame its leadership and institution.
“Our clients have been grievously maligned and injured in their integrity and character by your baseless and unfounded publication,” the letter stated.
It added that the DSS and its leadership have since been inundated with calls from Nigerians expressing “outrage and disappointment.”
The security agency is demanding that the People’s Gazette retract the article from all its digital platforms and publish an unreserved public apology using the same channels.
The letter warned that failure to meet these demands within 48 hours would trigger legal proceedings, including prosecution under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.
“As your conduct is actionable per se, just as it is a criminal offence under the provisions of Nigeria’s Cybercrimes Act… our clients shall proceed to seek redress in court without further reference to you,” the letter read.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and its Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, have also demanded a retraction of the same story from Peoples Gazette.
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