The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared Mr. Timipre Sylva, the former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and former Governor of Bayelsa State, officially wanted.
The declaration is in connection with an alleged case of conspiracy and dishonest conversion involving nearly $15 million.
The anti-graft agency’s spokesman, Dele Oyewale, issued a public notice on Monday, detailing the specifics of the alleged crime. The notice states that the funds in question, totaling $14,859,257, originated from the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and were intended for a specific refinery construction project.
The public notice read: “The public is hereby notified that TIMIPRE SYLVA, a former Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, and former Governor of Bayelsa State, whose photograph appears above is wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in an alleged case of Conspiracy and Dishonest Conversion of $14,859,257—part of funds injected by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) into Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited for the construction of a Refinery.”
The EFCC further confirmed the basis and details of the warrant. “Sylva, 61, is from Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. This notice is pursuant to a November 6, 2025, warrant of the Lagos State High Court,” the notice stated.
The commission urged the public to provide any relevant intelligence regarding his location, listing multiple contact points: “Anybody with useful information as to his whereabouts should please contact the Commission in its Ibadan, Uyo, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Benin, Makurdi, Kaduna, Ilorin, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt, or Abuja offices or through 08093322644; its e-mail address: [email protected] or the nearest Police Station and other security agencies.”
