The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has urged former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva to make himself available for questioning after declaring him wanted over an alleged $14.86 million fraud case.
EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale made the statement on Monday while responding to Sylva’s allegation that the anti-graft agency had become more of an organ of the All Progressives Congress than an institution of the state.
“He has been declared wanted; he should make himself available to the commission,” Oyewale said.
Sylva announced his resignation from the APC on Monday, saying he had forwarded a copy of his resignation letter to the EFCC. He accused the commission of acting politically and criticised the APC for abandoning what he described as its founding ideals.
The former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources also faulted the administration of President Bola Tinubu, saying the government had disappointed Nigerians.
In his resignation letter dated August 31, 2026, and addressed to the APC chairman of Ward 4 in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Sylva said his decision followed consultations with his family, associates, colleagues and supporters.
He described the APC as a “floundering ship” and said he could no longer remain in a party whose leaders, in his view, believed that “all is fair in politics.”
Sylva said the ideals upon which the APC was founded had been “thoroughly and unrecognisably thwarted.”
He also accused the Federal Government of failing to meet Nigerians’ expectations, saying he could neither see a credible attempt nor any possibility of a meaningful revamp.
Explaining why he copied the EFCC in his resignation letter, Sylva accused the commission of becoming increasingly political and said he was aware that his decision could lead to further investigations against him and his associates.
The EFCC declared Sylva wanted in November 2025 over an alleged case of conspiracy and dishonest conversion involving $14,859,257.
His resignation comes months after he was linked to an alleged plot against the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
Sylva is listed as a defendant and described as “still at large” in a 13-count federal charge involving allegations of treason, terrorism-related offences, conspiracy and money laundering arising from the alleged plot.
Reports have indicated that Sylva left Nigeria after the investigation became public. Investigators have also reportedly identified him as an alleged financier of the plot, accusing him of contributing about N785 million through Purple Waves Limited, an Abuja-based company.
Investigators reportedly traced more than N5 billion allegedly pooled for the operation, including funds linked to Purple Waves and a bureau de change operator.
They also reportedly linked money paid into Purple Waves to proceeds from contracts awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission and loans obtained by the company.
Sylva has denied involvement in the alleged plot. The allegations remain subject to judicial proceedings and he has not been convicted.
In July 2026, the Department of State Services arraigned five of his associates for allegedly concealing his whereabouts after he was declared wanted in connection with the alleged plot. They pleaded not guilty and were granted bail.
In May 2026, the Federal High Court in Abuja granted an interim forfeiture order covering nine properties allegedly linked to Sylva following an application by the EFCC.
Sylva served as Bayelsa State governor from 2007 to 2012, with his tenure interrupted by court rulings. He later served as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
