By Deborah Nnamdi
Former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and ex-Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, has accused unnamed political adversaries of masterminding a “relentless theatre of persecution” following his declaration as wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Julius Bokoru, on Monday, Sylva described the EFCC’s action as “politically driven and procedurally improper,” alleging that the anti-graft agency failed to notify him before making the public announcement.
“His recent travails bear an uncanny resemblance to the trials of Job in Holy Scripture — each ordeal arriving with near-mathematical precision, each accusation discredited only for another to appear,” Bokoru said.
“These are no coincidences; they are deliberate machinations of those who dread Sylva’s enduring political relevance and moral resolve. No formal communication was extended to him, no established protocol observed — only a sudden digital proclamation designed to inflame public sentiment and manufacture yet another episode of orchestrated hostility.”
Sylva denied diverting any public funds and maintained that the refinery project under investigation — Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited — was legitimate and transparent.
“Chief Timipre Sylva has clean hands. He has not diverted a single dollar, nor has he betrayed the trust reposed in him by the Nigerian people,” the statement read.
“The refinery project is a legitimate, transparent, and verifiable undertaking, subject to due process and traceable documentation. Those engineering this relentless campaign of defamation will not prevail.”
The EFCC had earlier declared Sylva wanted over alleged conspiracy and dishonest conversion of $14,859,257, said to be part of funds injected by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) into the refinery project.
In a notice signed by Dele Oyewale, Head of Media and Publicity, the Commission alleged that Sylva and others diverted portions of the investment for personal use. Justice D.I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court, Lagos, reportedly issued a warrant for his arrest on November 6, 2025.
The court order authorised security agencies to arrest Sylva and bring him before the EFCC “to answer to the criminal offence he is alleged to have committed.” The Commission also urged anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact its zonal offices, the police, or other law enforcement agencies.
