Chief Timipre Sylva Declared Wanted

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday declared former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and ex-Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, wanted over an alleged case of conspiracy and dishonest conversion of $14,859,257. The amount is said to be part of the funds injected by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) into Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited for the construction of a refinery in Bayelsa State. But Sylva has dismissed the allegations, describing them as another persecution and smear campaign by his political enemies, just as he claimed there was no due process by the EFCC in declaring him wanted. A statement by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Dele Oyewale, said the commission secured a warrant for Sylva’s arrest from a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on November 6.