EFCC has declared former Minister of Petroleum Resources and former Governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, wanted in connection with an alleged multi-million-dollar fraud involving public funds.
According to the EFCC, Sylva is being sought over allegations of conspiracy and dishonest conversion of $14,859,257—funds reportedly invested by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) into Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited for the construction of a refinery project.
The Commission disclosed that on November 6, 2025, it obtained an arrest warrant from the Federal High Court in Lagos. The order, issued by Justice D.I. Dipeolu, authorizes the EFCC, the Police, and other law enforcement agencies to arrest Sylva and bring him before investigators to respond to the allegations.
The EFCC further urged members of the public with credible information on Sylva’s whereabouts to report to any EFCC Zonal Office nationwide or the nearest police station.
Sylva, a former key figure in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, has not yet publicly responded to the development. The case marks a significant escalation in ongoing investigations into transparency and financial accountability within Nigeria’s petroleum governance and local content administration.
