The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has called on former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva, to appear before the agency for questioning following his declaration as wanted over an alleged $14.86 million fraud case.
EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, made the position known on Monday while responding to allegations by Sylva that the anti-graft agency had increasingly operated as an arm of the All Progressives Congress (APC) rather than as a government institution.
“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 also sent a copy of his resignation letter to the EFCC.
In the letter, addressed to the APC chairman of Ward 4 in Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Sylva accused the ruling party of abandoning the principles upon which it was founded.
Copies of the resignation letter were also sent to the APC national chairman, the EFCC executive chairman and the APC chairman in Bayelsa State.
Sylva, a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, said his decision to leave the party 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 assessment, had embraced the notion that “all is fair in politics.”
“As a founding member of the APC, and one who joined other well-meaning Nigerians in building the Party with sweat and money, it is deeply saddening to witness how the ideals we espoused have been so thoroughly and unrecognisably thwarted,” he said.
Sylva also criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu, arguing that the Federal Government had failed to meet the expectations of many Nigerians.
“The present Government, formed under the banner of the APC we once loved, has disappointed the vast majority of Nigerians. And I can see neither a credible attempt nor any possibility of a revamp,” he stated.
He said he had decided to leave the party because he believed Nigerians would use the next general election to alter the country’s political direction.
Sylva Accuses EFCC of Political Conduct
Explaining why he copied the EFCC on his resignation letter, Sylva accused the commission of becoming increasingly political.
“I am deliberately putting the EFCC in copy of this letter because, of late, it has conducted itself more as an organ of the APC than as an institution of State,” he wrote.
Sylva also said he was aware that his resignation could result in further investigations involving him and his associates.
“I am fully aware that this action of mine may invite a redoubled witch-hunt against me and my associates, but that is a risk I am willing to take,” he added.
The EFCC, however, maintained that Sylva should present himself to the commission for questioning.
$14.86m Investigation
The EFCC declared Sylva wanted in November 2025 in connection with an alleged case of conspiracy and dishonest conversion involving $14,859,257.
The former governor has also been linked to an alleged plot against the Tinubu administration. He is listed as a defendant in a 13-count charge involving allegations including treason, terrorism-related offences, conspiracy and money laundering.
Court proceedings related to the allegations are ongoing, and Sylva has denied involvement in the alleged plot.
Reports indicate that Sylva left Nigeria after details of the investigation became public. Sources familiar with the investigation also reportedly said he postponed plans to return after his Abuja residence was raided and some of his associates were arrested.
Investigators have alleged that Sylva was a principal financier of the purported plot and accused him of contributing about N785 million through Purple Waves Limited, an Abuja-based company.
According to the allegations, more than N5 billion was raised for the operation, with approximately N785 million traced through Purple Waves and a bureau de change operator before the funds were allegedly distributed.
Investigators have also reportedly linked money paid into Purple Waves to proceeds from contracts awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission and loans secured by the company.
Legal Proceedings Continue
In July 2026, the Department of State Services arraigned five associates of Sylva for allegedly concealing his whereabouts after he was declared wanted in connection with the alleged plot. They pleaded not guilty and were granted bail.
Earlier, 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.
The allegations against Sylva remain subject to judicial proceedings, and he has not been convicted of the offences.
Sylva served as governor of Bayelsa State from 2007 to 2012, although his tenure was affected by court rulings. He subsequently served as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
