The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has asked former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva, to present himself for questioning after the agency declared him wanted over an alleged $14.86 million fraud case.
The EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, made the call on Monday in response to Sylva’s criticism of the commission.
Sylva, who announced his resignation from the All Progressives Congress the same day, accused the EFCC of becoming politically aligned with the ruling party.
Asked to respond to the former governor’s allegation, Oyewale said, “He has been declared wanted; he should make himself available to the commission.”
In his resignation letter, Sylva said he had deliberately copied the EFCC chairman because of his concerns about the commission’s conduct.
He wrote, “I am deliberately putting the EFCC in copy of this letter because, of late, it has conducted itself more as an organ of the APC than as an institution of State.
“I am fully aware that this action of mine may invite a redoubled witch-hunt against me and my associates, but that is a risk I am willing to take.”
The former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources also accused the APC of abandoning the principles that led to its formation.
He said his decision to leave the party followed consultations with his family, associates, colleagues and supporters.
Sylva described the APC as a “floundering ship whose fate appears to have been sealed by its irredeemable load of iniquities.”
He further criticised the Tinubu administration, claiming that the government had failed to meet the expectations of Nigerians.
“The present Government, formed under the banner of the APC we once loved, has disappointed the vast majority of Nigerians. And I can see neither a credible attempt nor any possibility of a revamp,” he stated.
Sylva said he believed Nigerians would use the next general election to redirect the country’s political course.
“I am therefore left with no other choice than to jettison a floundering ship whose fate appears to have been sealed by its irredeemable load of iniquities. I have no doubt that, in the coming election, Nigerians will vote for Nigeria and free the Country from this stranglehold on our beautiful country,” he said.
The EFCC declared Sylva wanted in November 2025 over an alleged case involving conspiracy and dishonest conversion of $14,859,257.
His latest move also comes amid a separate investigation and court case arising from an alleged plot against President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Sylva is named as a defendant in a 13-count charge involving allegations of treason, conspiracy, terrorism-related offences and money laundering. Court records reportedly list him as “still at large.”
Reports have claimed that the former governor travelled outside Nigeria after the allegations became public and later delayed plans to return following a raid on his Abuja residence and the arrest of some of his associates.
Investigators have accused Sylva of allegedly financing part of the operation, claiming that about N785 million passed through Purple Waves Limited, an Abuja-based firm.
More than N5 billion was reportedly gathered for the alleged operation, with investigators tracing funds through Purple Waves and a bureau de change operator.
Authorities also reportedly linked money paid into Purple Waves to NDDC contracts and loans obtained by the company.
Sylva has denied any involvement in the alleged plot. The allegations remain before the courts, and he has not been convicted.
In July 2026, five of his associates were arraigned by the Department of State Services over allegations that they concealed his whereabouts after he was declared wanted. They pleaded not guilty and were granted bail.
Earlier, in May 2026, the Federal High Court in Abuja granted an interim forfeiture order involving nine properties allegedly linked to Sylva following an EFCC application.
Sylva served as Bayelsa State governor from 2007 to 2012 before later becoming Minister of State for Petroleum Resources under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
