Former Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, has written to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission seeking a mutually agreed date to honour its invitation over an alleged $14.8m fraud.
Sylva, in a letter he personally signed and addressed to the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, faulted the commission’s move to declare him wanted, saying he had never shunned any lawful invitation.
The letter, dated November 24 and acknowledged by the EFCC on November 26, stated that he was currently receiving urgent medical care for a “life-threatening condition.”
He said he was consulting his medical team to determine whether he could temporarily suspend 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,” he wrote.
“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 recent events that had put him, his family, and associates under pressure, beginning with “an unverified accusation” linking him to an alleged plot to undermine the authority of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He noted that the matter escalated into a military raid on his Abuja residence, during which several persons, including his drivers, security aides and domestic staff, were arrested and remain in detention.
“While still grappling with the emotional and psychological strain of those events, I was on Monday, November 10, 2025, publicly declared wanted by your esteemed agency over an alleged $14.8m fraud,” he said.
Sylva insisted he had previously honoured an EFCC invitation in December 2024 in relation to the same matter, after which he was granted administrative bail on self-recognition and told he would be contacted again if needed.
“To the best of my knowledge and belief, no further invitation or correspondence was issued to me thereafter,” he wrote, saying it was “deeply surprising and profoundly unsettling” to learn through a public announcement that he had been declared wanted.
He also rejected claims that he jumped bail, stating that “no such incident occurred, nor was any such bail condition ever violated.”
Sylva said the recent actions against him may create “a public impression of political witch-hunt,” adding that he has appeared to be “a target since the beginning of this administration.”
Sylva, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, has recently been linked to a rumoured aborted military coup.
His Abuja home was raided by operatives believed to be from military intelligence, and he was subsequently declared wanted by the EFCC.
During the raid, his younger brother, Paga, who serves as his Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs, and his driver were reportedly arrested.
His Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Julius Bokoru, confirmed the raid but denied Sylva’s involvement in any coup plot.
He accused unnamed politicians of orchestrating mischief because they view the former governor as a threat to their ambitions.
Bokoru also criticised the EFCC for declaring Sylva wanted, saying he was never invited before the announcement.
punch.ng
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