Former Bayelsa State governor and former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Timipre Sylva has said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) failed to observe protocol before declaring him wanted.
Julius Bokoru, special assistant on Media and Public Affairs to Mr Sylva, said in a statement that the EFCC announced the decision on social media without prior notice to his principal.
“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,” Mr Bokoru said.
He also questioned what he described as the transformation of an earlier issue into a financial allegation.
According to Bokoru, soldiers previously raided Sylva’s residences in Abuja and Bayelsa, causing damage to property.
He said the former minister was not in the country during the operation and that no clear reason was given for the raid.
“Despite sustained efforts, I have been unable to ascertain the reasons or authorisation for this raid. To the best of my knowledge, the officers involved did not provide any categorical explanation for their actions, either at the time or subsequently,” he added.
The EFCC had on Monday declared Timipre Sylva wanted in connection with an alleged case of conspiracy and dishonest conversion of $14,859,257.
According to the agency, the money was 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 said the declaration followed a warrant issued on November 6 by a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.
The commission urged anyone with information on Sylva’s whereabouts to contact its offices or the nearest police station.
In October, soldiers reportedly raided Sylva’s homes in Abuja and Bayelsa, arresting his brother over allegations linking the former governor to a failed plot to overthrow the Bola Tinubu administration.
