JUST IN: EFCC Declares Former Minister Timipre Sylva Wanted Over Alleged $14.8 Million Refinery Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has formally declared the immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, wanted in connection with an alleged case of financial crime involving a substantial amount of public funds. This declaration intensifies the anti-graft agency’s pursuit of high-profile corruption cases involving former public office holders.

Dependable NG reports that the anti-graft agency made the declaration public on Monday, stating that the former Minister is wanted in an alleged case of Conspiracy and Dishonest Conversion of $14,859,257. This significant amount is identified as part of the funds injected by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) into Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited for the specific purpose of constructing a refinery.

The public notice, which included a photograph of the former Governor, was signed by the EFCC’s spokesman, Dele Oyewale. It explicitly stated: “The public is hereby notified that TIMIPRE SYLVA, a former Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, and former Governor of Bayelsa State… 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 stressed that the declaration is pursuant to a warrant issued by the Lagos State High Court on November 6, 2025. Sylva, who is 61 years old and hails from Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, is required to present himself to the commission to address these serious allegations of corruption and abuse of office.

The notice further urged anybody with useful information as to his whereabouts to immediately contact the Commission. The EFCC provided a list of all its offices nationwide, including those in Ibadan, Uyo, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Benin, Makurdi, Kaduna, Ilorin, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt, and Abuja, along with a dedicated phone number (08093322644) and its e-mail address. This development marks another round of high-profile probes into a prominent political figure, underscoring the EFCC’s commitment to tackling financial malfeasance.