Alleged $14.8m Fraud: Sylva Requests EFCC To Fix a Date for His Appearance

Former Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, has written to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, requesting that a mutually agreed date be fixed for him to honour the agency’s invitation regarding an alleged $14.8m fraud case.

In the letter, personally signed and addressed to the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, he criticised the decision to declare him wanted, insisting he had never ignored any lawful invitation from the commission.

Dated November 24 and acknowledged by the EFCC on November 26, the letter stated that Sylva is currently undergoing urgent medical treatment for a “life-threatening condition.” He explained that he is consulting his medical team to determine whether his treatment can be temporarily paused to enable his appearance before the commission.

He appealed for a new date to be set, subject to medical clearance, so that he could appear physically and formally. He added that he believes the invitation is for genuine investigative purposes, noting that “only the living can appropriately, fully, and responsibly respond to any allegation,” which he firmly denied.

Sylva referenced recent developments that he said placed him, his family, and associates under significant pressure—beginning with what he described as an unverified allegation linking him to a plot to undermine President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He recalled that the situation escalated into a military raid on his Abuja residence, during which his drivers, security aides, and domestic staff were arrested and remain in custody.

He further stated that despite these ongoing challenges, he was publicly declared wanted by the EFCC on Monday, November 10, 2025, over the alleged fraud. He maintained that he honoured an earlier EFCC invitation in December 2024 relating to the same matter, was granted administrative bail on self-recognition, and was never called back afterward. According to him, the announcement that he had been declared wanted came as “deeply surprising and profoundly unsettling.”

Sylva rejected claims that he jumped bail, stating that no such incident occurred and that he never violated any bail conditions. He expressed concern that recent developments could give the public the impression of a political witch-hunt, noting that he appears to have been targeted since the current administration took office.

The former minister, a member of the All Progressives Congress, has recently been associated with rumours of an aborted coup plot. His home in Abuja was raided by operatives believed to be military intelligence, after which he was declared wanted by the EFCC.

During the raid, his younger brother Paga—his Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs—and his driver were reportedly arrested. His media aide, Julius Bokoru, later confirmed the raid but denied Sylva had any link to a coup plot, accusing unnamed political figures of mischief borne out of fear of his political influence.

Bokoru also faulted the EFCC for declaring Sylva wanted, stating that he was never invited before the public announcement was made.