The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared Timipre Sylva, a former Minister of Petroleum Resources and one-time Governor of Bayelsa State, wanted over an alleged case involving conspiracy and dishonest conversion of $14,859,257.
In a statement released on Monday and signed by EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, the anti-graft agency stated that the sum in question was part of the funds contributed by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) to Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited for the construction of a refinery.
According to the EFCC, a warrant for Sylva’s arrest was secured at the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on November 6, 2025. The order, granted by Justice D. I. Dipeolu, authorized law enforcement officers to apprehend Sylva and bring him before the Commission to answer for the alleged criminal offences.
The warrant explicitly stated that “an order is made issuing a warrant to the applicant or any officer of the Commission, police, or any law enforcement officer for the arrest of the respondent for the purpose of bringing him before the Commission to answer to the criminal offence he is alleged to have committed.”
The EFCC urged anyone with relevant information regarding Sylva’s whereabouts to contact any of its zonal offices across the country, the nearest police station, or any security agency.
As of the time of filing this report, the former governor has not released an official statement addressing the allegations or the arrest warrant.
What you should know
Timipre Sylva, a former Minister of Petroleum Resources and ex-Governor of Bayelsa State, has been declared wanted by the EFCC over an alleged $14.8 million fraud tied to funds meant for a refinery project.
The Commission has obtained a court-issued arrest warrant and appealed to the public for information on his location.
