EFCC has told Timipre Sylva to present himself for questioning over alleged $14.86m fraud.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has asked former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva to present himself for questioning over an alleged $14.86 million fraud.
EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale made the call on Monday while responding to Sylva’s allegation that the anti-graft agency had conducted itself more like an organ of the ruling All Progressives Congress than an institution of the state.
“He has been declared wanted; he should make himself available to the commission,” Oyewale said.
The response came after Sylva announced his resignation from the APC and copied the commission in his resignation letter.
The former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources accused the APC of abandoning its founding principles and said the administration of President Bola Tinubu had disappointed many Nigerians.
Sylva’s resignation letter, dated August 31, 2026, was addressed to the APC chairman of Ward 4 in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
It was also copied to the APC national chairman, the party’s Bayelsa State chairman and the executive chairman of the EFCC.
Sylva said his decision followed consultations with his family, associates, colleagues and supporters.
“As a founding member of the APC, and one who joined other well-meaning Nigerians in building the party with sweat and money, it is deeply saddening to witness how the ideals we espoused have been so thoroughly and unrecognisably thwarted,” he wrote.
The former governor said he could no longer remain in a party whose leaders, in his view, believed that “all is fair in politics.”
“All cannot be fair in any endeavour of life. The demands of basic decency and morality forbid it. Unfortunately, this mentality appears to underpin virtually every action, and even inaction, of this administration,” he added.
Sylva also criticised the performance of the APC-led Federal Government, saying he could not see a credible attempt to change its direction.
“The present government, formed under the banner of the APC we once loved, has disappointed the vast majority of Nigerians. And I can see neither a credible attempt nor any possibility of a revamp,” he stated.
He described the APC as a “floundering ship whose fate appears to have been sealed by its irredeemable load of iniquities.”
Sylva expressed confidence that Nigerians would vote for a change in the country’s political direction during the next general election.
“I have no doubt that, in the coming election, Nigerians will vote for Nigeria and free the country from this stranglehold on our beautiful country,” he said.
Sylva Accuses EFCC of Partisanship
Explaining why he copied the anti-graft agency in his resignation letter, Sylva accused the EFCC of becoming increasingly political.
“I am deliberately putting the EFCC in copy of this letter because, of late, it has conducted itself more as an organ of the APC than as an institution of state,” he wrote.
“I am fully aware that this action of mine may invite a redoubled witch-hunt against me and my associates, but that is a risk I am willing to take.”
Sylva did not provide evidence to support his allegation against the commission. The EFCC responded by asking him to make himself available for questioning.
The commission declared Sylva wanted in November 2025 over an alleged case of conspiracy and dishonest conversion involving $14,859,257.
The money was allegedly part of an investment by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board in Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited for a refinery project.
A Federal High Court in Lagos had issued a warrant authorising the EFCC to arrest and detain Sylva for questioning, according to Reuters.
Alleged Plot and Other Proceedings
Sylva has also been named as a defendant in a separate 13-count federal charge arising from an alleged plot against the Tinubu administration.
The charges reportedly include allegations of treason, terrorism-related offences, conspiracy and money laundering.
Investigators reportedly identified Sylva as an alleged principal financier of the plot and accused him of contributing approximately N785 million through Purple Waves Limited, an Abuja-based company.
Sylva has denied any involvement in the alleged plot. The allegations remain before the courts, and he has not been convicted.
In July 2026, the Department of State Services arraigned five of his associates for allegedly concealing his whereabouts. They pleaded not guilty and were granted bail.
The Federal High Court in Abuja had earlier granted an interim forfeiture order covering nine properties linked to Sylva following an application by the EFCC.
Sylva served as Bayelsa State governor between 2007 and 2012, with his tenure interrupted by court decisions. He later served as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
