On Wednesday, August 27, 2025, a coalition of Niger Delta youth leaders, under the Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders Forum (NDENYLF), staged a protest at the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) Towers in Abuja, demanding the resignation of Group Chief Executive Officer Engr. Bashir Bayo Ojulari over allegations of corruption and mismanagement.
The protesters, who arrived around 6 a.m., blocked the entrance and exit gates, causing significant traffic disruptions along Herbert Macaulay Way in the Central Business District.
Carrying placards with inscriptions like “Ojulari Must Go!” and “Fix Our Refineries!”, they accused Ojulari of diverting $21 million, sabotaging the Port Harcourt Refinery, and dismissing over 400 Niger Delta workers, replacing them with cronies.
The group, led by Jonathan Lokpobiri, also demanded the appointment of a Niger Delta indigene as GCEO, emphasizing the region’s role in Nigeria’s oil wealth. Following an appeal by a representative of Petroleum Minister Heineken Lokpobiri, the protesters cleared one lane but vowed to continue until their demands are met.
