Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has asked former Bayelsa State governor Timipre Sylva to make himself available for questioning over an alleged $14.86m fraud case.
The anti-graft agency said Mr Sylva, who was declared wanted in connection with the investigation, should appear before the commission to answer questions relating to the alleged offence.
“He has been declared wanted; he should make himself available to the commission,” EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale said on Monday.
The development comes shortly after Mr Sylva announced his resignation from the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing the party of abandoning the principles upon which it was founded.
In his resignation letter dated 31 August, Mr Sylva also accused the EFCC of becoming increasingly politicised, alleging that the commission had conducted itself more as an organ of the APC than as a state institution.
He said he was aware that his decision to leave the party could lead to increased pressure from the anti-graft agency but insisted that he was prepared to face the consequences.
The EFCC declared Mr Sylva wanted in November 2025 over an alleged case of conspiracy and dishonest conversion involving $14,859,257.
The former governor is also facing separate legal proceedings over an alleged plot against President Bola Tinubu’s administration. He is listed as a defendant in a 13-count charge involving allegations including treason, terrorism-related offences, conspiracy and money laundering.
Mr Sylva has denied involvement in the alleged plot.
The latest development adds to the legal and political pressure surrounding the former governor, who served as Bayelsa governor from 2007 to 2012 and later became Minister of State for Petroleum Resources under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The allegations against Mr Sylva remain subject to legal proceedings, and he has not been convicted of the offences alleged against him.
