Timipre Sylva Placed on FBI, Interpol Watchlists as EFCC Reveals Reason for Declaration of Wanted Status

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has placed former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, on international watchlists, including those of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation and Interpol, following allegations of financial misconduct. The EFCC disclosed that Sylva is wanted over an alleged conspiracy and dishonest conversion of $14,859,257, funds provided by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board for Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited.

EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale confirmed that senior officials have also alerted the United Kingdom’s Metropolitan Police, as well as law enforcement agencies in Canada and other countries. On November 6, the commission obtained a Federal High Court warrant in Lagos, with Justice D.I. Dipeolu directing authorities to arrest Sylva and bring him in for questioning regarding the alleged offence.

Sources within the EFCC stated that the case has been ongoing for some time. Sylva had previously cooperated with investigators but later stopped appearing, prompting the agency to escalate the matter. The action comes nearly a month after the House of Representatives called for a probe into the mismanagement of a $35 million investment by the NCDMB in a modular refinery project in the Niger Delta that never materialized. The House had questioned the existence of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited despite significant federal investment five years ago and tasked its committees on Midstream, Downstream, and Legislative Compliance to investigate.

Sylva, a former governor of Bayelsa State and senior APC member, has recently been in the spotlight after his Abuja residence was raided by the military on October 25 over alleged involvement in a coup plot. His younger brother, Paga, and his driver were arrested during the raid while Sylva was reportedly abroad in the United Kingdom.

Reacting to the EFCC notice, Sylva’s media aide, Julius Bokoru, accused the commission of political motivation and procedural lapses. He stated that no formal notification had been sent to Sylva prior to the public declaration and described the transition from alleged coup involvement to financial crime accusations as “curious.”

Bokoru maintained that Sylva is a law-abiding citizen who would cooperate with the EFCC upon returning from medical treatment in the UK. He defended the legitimacy of the refinery project, asserting that it was properly documented and transparent. Bokoru described the allegations as part of a coordinated campaign to undermine Sylva’s political influence, adding that truth will ultimately prevail despite what he called attempts to sully his principal’s reputation.