By Emmanuel Ukudolo I Monday, Nov. 10, 2025
LAGOS, Nigeria — The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria’s foremost anti-graft agency, has declared Timipre Sylva, a former governor of the oil-rich Bayelsa State and immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, wanted in connection with an alleged $14.8 million fraud.
The declaration, announced by the commission on Monday, November 10, 2025, marks the latest high-profile action in Nigeria’s persistent struggle against systemic corruption, particularly involving senior political figures from the resource-rich Niger Delta region.
The EFCC stated that the warrant for Mr. Sylva’s arrest was issued by the Lagos State High Court on November 6. The 61-year-old politician is sought for an alleged case of “Conspiracy and Dishonest Conversion” related to funds intended for a critical infrastructure project.
The $14,859,257 in question is alleged to be part of an investment injected by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) into the Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited for the construction of a new refinery. The allegation centers on the illicit diversion of these public funds.
Mr. Sylva’s political career is deeply intertwined with the complexities of Nigeria’s oil industry. He served as Governor of Bayelsa State from 2008 to 2012, before his later appointment as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, a position that placed him at the heart of the country’s most vital economic sector.
The declaration is not Mr. Sylva’s first encounter with the anti-graft body. His tenure as governor was marked by multiple corruption investigations.
Starting in 2012, the EFCC filed several charges, alleging that he used fraudulent schemes to siphon billions of naira (tens of millions of dollars) from state coffers. At the time, the agency secured interim forfeiture orders on dozens of properties linked to him.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), established in 2003, is tasked with investigating and prosecuting financial crimes, including money laundering and fraud, which historically have plagued Nigeria’s public sector.
Its work is often seen as a barometer for the political will of the current administration to tackle corruption, which frequently involves officials from both the incumbent and opposition parties.
The current declaration comes weeks after Mr. Sylva’s name surfaced in connection with a separate, unconfirmed report regarding an alleged coup plot, which his media aide vehemently denied, confirming only that security operatives had raided his Abuja residence.
The EFCC has now officially solicited the help of the public and international security agencies to locate and apprehend the former minister, urging anyone with information to contact the commission’s offices across the country.
The move sends a powerful signal that the commission intends to aggressively pursue allegations of economic sabotage, regardless of the political stature of the accused.
