Timipre Sylva Challenges EFCC, Requests Mutually Agreed Date To Address $14.8m Fraud Allegation
Former Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, has written to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), requesting a mutually agreed date to respond to its invitation over an alleged $14.8 million fraud.
In a letter personally signed and addressed to EFCC Chairman Ola Olukoyede, Sylva rejected the commission’s decision to declare him wanted, stressing that he has never ignored any lawful summons. The letter, dated November 24 and acknowledged by the EFCC on November 26, explained that Sylva is currently receiving urgent medical treatment for a “life-threatening condition.”
He noted that he is consulting with his medical team to determine if he can 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.
Sylva emphasized, “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.”
The former minister recalled recent events that have put him, his family, and associates under pressure, starting with “an unverified accusation” linking him to an alleged plot against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He said the situation escalated into a military raid on his Abuja residence, during which several staff, including drivers and security aides, 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 $14.8 million fraud,” Sylva wrote.
He stressed that he had previously honored an EFCC invitation in December 2024 concerning the same matter, after which he was granted administrative bail on self-recognition and told he would be contacted again if needed. Sylva expressed surprise and dismay at being publicly declared wanted without prior notice, rejecting claims that he jumped bail.
The former minister also suggested that the actions against him could be seen as a “political witch-hunt,” noting that he has been a target since the start of the current administration.
Sylva, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was recently linked to a rumored aborted military coup. His Abuja residence was raided by operatives believed to be from military intelligence, and his younger brother, Paga, his Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs, and his driver were reportedly arrested during the operation.
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 the events due to Sylva’s perceived political influence and criticized the EFCC for declaring him wanted without issuing any prior invitation.
