Sylva Seeks EFCC Date Over $14.8m Alleged Fraud
By Daniel Ojukwu
Former Petroleum Minister, Chief Timipre Sylva, has formally written to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), asking for a mutually convenient date to respond to allegations of $14.8 million fraud.
In a letter addressed to EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, Sylva criticized the agency for declaring him wanted, saying he has always complied with legal invitations. The letter, dated November 24 and received by the EFCC on November 26, explained that he is currently receiving urgent medical care for a serious health condition.
He stated that he is consulting his doctors to determine if he can temporarily pause treatment to appear before the commission. “In view of the foregoing, I most humbly request that a mutually agreed date be set, subject to medical clearance, to enable me appear physically and formally,” Sylva wrote.
He also stressed, “I trust that the objective of your invitation is not to unalive, but to genuinely investigate an alleged crime. For only the living can appropriately, fully and responsibly respond to any allegation, which I firmly and respectfully deny.”
Sylva recalled that he and his family have been under intense pressure following earlier events, beginning with an unverified claim linking him to a plot against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He noted that this escalated into a raid on his Abuja home, during which several staff members, including drivers and security aides, were taken into custody.
He pointed out that he had previously appeared before the EFCC in December 2024 regarding the same matter and was granted administrative bail. Sylva expressed surprise at being publicly declared wanted, saying, “To the best of my knowledge and belief, no further invitation or correspondence was issued to me thereafter.” He also denied jumping bail, stating, “No such incident occurred, nor was any such bail condition ever violated.”
Sylva suggested that recent actions against him could create the impression of a political attack, saying he has felt like a target since the current administration began.
His media aide, Julius Bokoru, confirmed the raid on Sylva’s home but denied his client was involved in any coup plot. Bokoru accused unnamed politicians of trying to cause trouble, saying Sylva is seen as a political threat, and criticized the EFCC for declaring him wanted without prior invitation.