The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, wanted — a move his camp has described as politically motivated and procedurally questionable.
In a statement released on Monday via social media, the EFCC announced that the former Bayelsa State governor was wanted in connection with alleged financial misconduct.
However, Sylva’s media aide, Julius Bokoru, criticised the agency’s approach, accusing it of bypassing due process and engaging in a public spectacle intended to tarnish Sylva’s reputation.
According to Bokoru, no formal communication or official notice was issued to Sylva prior to the online announcement. He described the declaration as “a sudden digital proclamation designed to inflame public sentiment and manufacture yet another episode of orchestrated hostility.”
Bokoru further suggested that the latest allegations were part of a broader pattern of political persecution, claiming that Sylva’s travails mirror “the trials of Job in Holy Scripture”, with each accusation swiftly replaced by another once disproven.
“What was once whispered as a ‘coup matter’ has now quietly metamorphosed into a financial allegation,” he said, alleging that the same political interests behind earlier attempts to discredit Sylva were now hiding behind the guise of anti-corruption advocacy.
The statement emphasised that Sylva remains committed to due process and has every intention of honouring the EFCC’s invitation once he concludes medical treatment in the United Kingdom.
Bokoru also defended Sylva’s record, asserting that the former minister “has not diverted a single dollar” and that the refinery project under scrutiny was “a legitimate, transparent, and verifiable undertaking” subject to full regulatory compliance.
He urged supporters to remain calm, expressing confidence that the truth would eventually prevail.
“Those engineering this relentless campaign of defamation will not prevail, for light, by its very nature, must always outshine darkness,” the statement concluded.
The EFCC has yet to issue an official response to Sylva’s media aide’s claims at the time of publication.
