Abuja, Nigeria—Former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and ex-Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, has issued a sharp response after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) formally declared him wanted on Monday, November 10, 2025.

The anti-graft agency stated it secured a warrant for Sylva's arrest at the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court on November 6, 2025, in connection with an alleged case of conspiracy and dishonest conversion of $14,859,257 (Fourteen Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty-Nine Thousand, Two Hundred and Fifty-Seven United States Dollars). The funds are alleged to be part of money injected by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) into Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited.

Sylva's Camp Cries 'Orchestrated Hostility'

Responding to the declaration, which the EFCC disseminated widely across social media and media platforms, Sylva's team vehemently denied the allegations and accused the EFCC of political motivated persecution.

In a statement released by Julius Bokoru, Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs to Mr. Sylva, the former Minister claimed the commission failed to observe established protocols before declaring him wanted.

"No formal communication was extended to him, no established protocol observed—only a sudden digital proclamation designed, it would seem, to inflame public sentiment and manufacture yet another episode of orchestrated host¹ility," the statement read.

The "Coup" Allegation and Financial Charges

Sylva's spokesperson highlighted what he described as a "curious" shift in the accusations against the former Minister, noting that the EFCC's focus on a financial allegation follows recent, widely reported (though unconfirmed) claims linking Sylva to an alleged foiled coup attempt to destabilize the government.

"It is curious that what was once whispered in corridors as a 'coup matter' has now quietly metamorphosed into a financial allegation... The same shadowy forces that once sought to criminalise Sylva politically now appear to have reinvented themselves as fiscal crusaders," Bokoru stated, suggesting a coordinated and calculated political onslaught against his principal.

The spokesperson further described Sylva as a target of "deliberate machinations of those who dread [his] enduring political relevance and moral resolve."

EFCC Urges Public Assistance

The EFCC has placed Sylva on both FBI and Interpol watchlists and urged citizens and residents with useful information on his whereabouts to contact any of the agency's zonal directorates, the nearest police station, or other security agencies.

As of the time of reporting, there is no official confirmation of Mr. Sylva's current location, and the statement did not indicate when or if he plans to submit himself to the anti-graft agency.

This recent action by the EFCC is the latest legal challenge for Mr. Sylva, who was previously charged with fraud following his time as Bayelsa State Governor, though those charges were later dropped.