I’m Being Politically Witch-hunted, Says Ex-Minister Timipre Sylva

Former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and one-time governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, has alleged that his recent declaration as a wanted person by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was part of a “relentless theatre of persecution” engineered by political adversaries.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Julius Bokoru, Sylva described the EFCC’s action as “politically motivated and procedurally improper,” claiming that the anti-graft agency failed to notify him before going public with its declaration.

“His recent travails bear an uncanny resemblance to the trials of Job in Holy Scripture, each ordeal arriving with near-mathematical precision,” Bokoru said.

“These are deliberate machinations of those who dread Sylva’s enduring political relevance. No formal communication was extended to him, only a sudden digital proclamation designed to inflame public sentiment.”

Sylva insisted he had not diverted any public funds and maintained that the refinery project under investigation — the Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited — was transparent and duly documented.

“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 EFCC had on Monday, November 10, 2025, 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 Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited to a build a refinery.

A warrant of arrest was issued by Justice D.I. Dipeolu of the Federal High Court, Lagos, authorising security agencies to apprehend Sylva and present him before the Commission.