Over $14.8 Million Refinery Fraud Allegations
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has issued a public wanted notice for Timipre Sylva, former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and ex-Governor of Bayelsa State, accusing him of conspiracy and the dishonest conversion of $14,859,257 in public funds earmarked for refinery construction. 0 The announcement, released Monday by EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, comes amid heightened scrutiny of Sylva’s overseas travel and follows a recent military raid on his Abuja residence linked to separate coup plot rumors he has vehemently denied. 10
Sylva, 61, from Brass Local Government Area in Bayelsa State, is alleged to have diverted funds injected by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) into Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited for a proposed refinery project. 2 The EFCC secured an arrest warrant from Justice D.I. Dipeolu at the Federal High Court in Lagos on November 6, 2025, authorizing any EFCC officer, police, or law enforcement personnel to apprehend him for questioning. 1 The court order explicitly states the warrant’s purpose: to bring Sylva before the commission to answer charges of criminal misconduct.
In its statement, the EFCC urged the public to provide information on Sylva’s whereabouts, directing tips to any of its 14 zonal offices nationwide, the nearest police station, or via hotline 08093322644 or email [email protected]. 4 A photograph of Sylva accompanies the notice, which has rapidly circulated on social media, amplifying calls for accountability in Nigeria’s oil sector. 39
The development unfolds against a backdrop of political turbulence for Sylva. Just days earlier, on October 29, 2025, his aide, Chief Julius Bokoru, dismissed viral reports tying Sylva to an alleged coup plot against President Bola Tinubu as “desperate and narcissistic” fabrications by 2027 election rivals. 11 Bokoru described the rumors as a response to Sylva’s “intimidating political presence and credibility,” positioning him as an obstacle to rivals’ ambitions. He reaffirmed Sylva’s status as an “unrepentant and thoroughbred democrat,” highlighting his mobilization of Bayelsa State’s All Progressives Congress (APC) structures to endorse Tinubu at a recent stakeholders’ meeting in Yenagoa. 17
Bokoru confirmed a raid on Sylva’s Abuja home by suspected Defence Headquarters operatives, noting “significant damage” to the property but no explanation provided by the intruders. 42 He clarified that Sylva and his wife, Alanyingi, were abroad at the time—first in the United Kingdom for a routine medical check-up, then en route to Malaysia for a professional conference—insisting the trip was pre-planned and unrelated to evasion. 14 Security sources had earlier linked the October 28 raid to intelligence suggesting Sylva’s involvement in covert meetings with detained military officers probing a thwarted coup, though the Defence Headquarters has debunked broader coup narratives. 41
Sylva’s political career, spanning roles as a Rivers State assemblyman in the 1990s, Bayelsa governor from 2007 to 2012, and petroleum minister under Muhammadu Buhari from 2019 to 2023, has long intersected with graft allegations. 6 He was the APC’s 2023 Bayelsa gubernatorial candidate, losing to incumbent Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Past probes into asset declarations and public funds have yielded mixed outcomes, with some cases dropped or dismissed.
Social media reactions to the EFCC notice have been swift and polarized. Supporters decry it as selective persecution amid Sylva’s vocal backing of Tinubu, while critics demand swift justice, drawing parallels to unfulfilled refinery promises that have plagued Nigeria’s energy sector. 20 33 As of Monday evening, neither Sylva nor his team had issued a direct response to the fraud charges, though Bokoru’s prior statements underscore a narrative of political victimization.
The EFCC’s pursuit signals an intensified crackdown on oil-related corruption, echoing recent arrests in vote-buying schemes in Anambra and a fatal EFCC raid in Lekki. 0 With Sylva’s location undisclosed, the case tests the anti-graft body’s resolve—and Nigeria’s commitment to holding high-profile figures accountable, regardless of alliances.
