The special assistant on media and public affairs to Timipre Sylva, the former minister of state for petroleum resources, Julius Bokoru, says Sylva is being targeted through a politically driven campaign.
Earlier on Monday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) declared Sylva wanted over allegations of conspiracy and dishonest conversion involving $14,859,257.
According to a statement issued by Dele Oyewale, the EFCC spokesperson, the funds in question were part of investments made by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) into Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited.
The agency also urged anyone with credible information on Sylva’s whereabouts to reach out to any EFCC office or the nearest police station.
Responding to the situation, Bokoru characterised the EFCC’s declaration as a “digital proclamation” intended to generate public animosity toward Sylva.
He noted that the former minister was not informed through any official communication before the notice was released.
“It is, to say the least, curious that what was once whispered in corridors as a coup matter has now quietly metamorphosed into a financial allegation,” the statement reads.
“No formal communication was extended to him, no established protocol observed—only a sudden digital proclamation designed, it would seem, to inflame public sentiment and manufacture yet another episode of orchestrated hostility.
“The same shadowy forces that once sought to criminalise Sylva politically now appear to have reinvented themselves as fiscal crusaders.”
Bokoru claimed the situation is part of a deliberate campaign by political opponents who “dread Sylva’s enduring relevance and moral resolve”.
He added that Sylva—who is currently receiving medical care in the United Kingdom (UK)—intends to respond to the EFCC’s request upon his return.
“Chief Timipre Sylva has clean hands,” Bokoru said.
“He has not diverted a single dollar, nor has he betrayed the trust reposed in him by the Nigerian people. The refinery project in question is a legitimate, transparent, and verifiable undertaking—subject to due process and traceable documentation.”
The media aide urged Sylva’s supporters to remain composed, noting that “truth, though often delayed, remains immutable.”
In October, security operatives reportedly stormed Sylva’s homes in Abuja and Bayelsa and detained his brother following allegations linking Sylva to a failed attempt to overthrow the Bola Tinubu administration.
Bokoru acknowledged the raid but insisted the allegations were politically motivated.