FORMER Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and ex-governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, has alleged that he is the target of a coordinated political campaign aimed at destroying his reputation, after he was declared wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Sylva, through his media aide, Julius Bokoru, said on Monday, November 10, that the EFCC’s action was procedurally flawed and politically motivated.
He accused unnamed individuals of orchestrating a “relentless theatre of persecution” against him.
“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.
“These are no coincidences; they are deliberate machinations of those who dread Sylva’s enduring political relevance and moral resolve,” he added.
He faulted the EFCC’s action, describing the move as an attempt to sway public opinion through social media sensationalism.
“No formal communication was extended to him, no established protocol observed – only a sudden digital proclamation designed, it would seem, to inflame public sentiment and manufacture yet another episode of orchestrated hostility,” the statement read.
Sylva maintained his innocence, insisting that he had not diverted any funds and that the refinery project under scrutiny, the Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, was a legitimate, transparent, and traceable venture.
“Yet, let it be categorically stated: 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 refinery project in question is a legitimate, transparent, and verifiable undertaking – subject to due process and traceable documentation.
“To our friends, allies, and well-wishers: this, too, shall pass. Truth, though often delayed, remains immutable. It neither bows to propaganda nor perishes in the tumult of falsehood. Those engineering this relentless campaign of defamation will not prevail – for light, by its very nature, must always outshine darkness,” Bokoru added.
According to the aide, Mr Sylva is currently undergoing medical checks in the United Kingdom but remains committed to due process. He will honour the EFCC’s invitation upon returning to Nigeria.
The statement also hinted on the recent military raid on Sylva’s residence over an alleged coup plot, arguing that the EFCC’s move was to “inflame public sentiment and manufacture yet another episode of orchestrated hostility.”
The ICIR reported that Silva’s home had been raided by security operatives over the alleged failed coup on Tuesday, October 28. Sylva’s media aide, Bokoru, confirmed the development in a statement, disclosing that the former Bayelsa State governor was abroad when the raid occurred.
He, however, dismissed the alleged coup plot, attributing the claims to “political desperation”.
According to him, the military operatives damaged property during the operation but did not present a search warrant or any official explanation for their actions. Bokoru emphasised that his principal had no links with any coup-related activities, describing Sylva as a devoted democrat and steadfast supporter of President Bola Tinubu.
Background
The EFCC had on Monday, November 10, declared Sylva wanted over an alleged $14.85 million fraud involving funds provided by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for the construction of the Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited.
The agency said it obtained an arrest warrant on 6 November 2025 from Justice D.I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The warrant, said to have been issued by Justice D.I. Dipeolu, directed that “an order is made issuing a warrant to the Applicant or any Officer of the Commission, Police or any law enforcement officer for the arrest of the Respondent for the purpose of bringing him before the Commission to answer to the criminal offence he is alleged to have committed.”
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M