Court Adjourns Trial Of 5 Accused Of Concealing Timipre Sylva’s Whereabouts To October

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday adjourned until October 5 the trial of five men accused of concealing the whereabouts of former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva.

The matter, which was scheduled for the commencement of trial before Justice Peter Lifu, could not proceed because the court did not sit. The case was subsequently adjourned until after the court’s annual vacation.

The defendants – Reuben Ayuba, Musa Mohammed, Friday Paul, Paganengigha Anagaha and Ayebaifie Suobite, were arraigned by the Department of State Services on July 1 on a two-count charge bordering on allegedly concealing the whereabouts of Sylva, who prosecutors described as a fugitive.

The five defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The case is separate from an ongoing trial before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, where Sylva, who is listed as being at large, and six others are facing prosecution over an alleged plot to overthrow the government of President Bola Tinubu.

The Federal Government alleges that Sylva has financial links to the six defendants in that case, who include retired Major General Mohammed Ibrahim Gana, retired Captain (NN) Erasmus Ochegobia Victor, Inspector Ahmed Ibrahim, Zekeri Umoru, Bukar Kashim Goni and Abdulkadir Sani.

The six are standing trial on a 13-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/206/2026.

Although Sylva, a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, is not listed as a defendant in the charge before Justice Abdulmalik, court documents identify him as being at large.

In the separate case before Justice Lifu, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/299/2026, prosecuting counsel E.G. Orubor had, during the defendants’ arraignment on July 1, urged the court to fix a trial date to enable the prosecution present evidence against the accused persons.

Justice Lifu subsequently granted each defendant bail in the sum of N5 million with two sureties who must be Abuja residents and provide valid tax clearance certificates. The bail applications were moved by defence lawyers, including Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Sunusi Musa.

According to the charge, the defendants allegedly committed the offence on or about April 28 in Abuja by becoming “accessories after the fact of felony by concealing the whereabouts of Timipre Sylva, who is a fugitive of the law.”

The prosecution said the alleged offence contravenes Section 519 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

In the second count, the defendants are accused of conspiring to commit a felony by concealing Sylva’s whereabouts, an offence said to be contrary to Section 516 of the Criminal Code Act, LFN, 2004.