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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been accused of carrying out an unlawful operation at the Abuja residence of a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva.
In a statement posted on Facebook on Monday, Mr Sylva’s spokesperson, Julius Boroku, said operatives of the anti-graft agency stormed the residence at Maitama and “spray-painted the inscription ‘EFCC — KEEP OFF’ in red on the walls of the property.”
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Mr Boroku described the action as “nothing short of an affront to decency,” alleging that the operation was carried out without a warrant, subpoena, official notification, or any form of lawful authorisation.
The aide stressed that the Maitama property is a family home currently occupied by Mr Sylva’s children, relatives, and staff, whom he said have been subjected to weeks of “mounting fear” and restriction.
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Raising concerns about abuse of state power, the statement warned that such actions reflect “a troubling drift from the rule of law towards something far more arbitrary and vindictive.”
He, however, distanced President Bola Tinubu from the incident, insisting that the development did not reflect presidential authorisation or character.
“We remain firmly convinced that President Tinubu is not involved in these excesses,” Mr Bokoru said, attributing the incident instead to “local political rivalry being misinterpreted—or mischievously presented—as federal instruction.”
He also drew attention to the continued detention of four individuals — Paganengigha Anagha, Friday Lusa Paul, Musa Mohammed, and a police officer, Reuben Ayuba — whom he said have been held for weeks on “vague, insubstantial, and nearly non-existent allegations.”
“Their prolonged detention is unjust. Their suffering is needless,” the statement added, describing their situation as emblematic of a wider erosion of civil liberties.
Background
The EFCC declared Mr Sylva wanted last month over an alleged $14.85 million fraud.
According to the commission, Mr Sylva is implicated in a case of conspiracy and dishonest conversion of funds provided by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board for the construction of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited.
There have been reports suggesting that the former minister is accused of funding a foiled military plot to remove President Tinubu from office.
Mr Sylva, a former governor of Bayelsa State and prominent figure in the ruling All Progressives Congress, had written to the EFCC, stating that he would appear before it after his current medical trip outside the country.
Action not outside the law – EFCC
Responding to allegations of an illegal raid, the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, on Tuesday dismissed the claims, insisting that the commission did not carry out any raid at Mr Sylva’s Maitama home.
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“As a matter of operational principle, EFCC does not conduct raids,” Mr Oyewale said, explaining that operatives only visited the premises to place official markings on a property already identified for further investigation.
He maintained that EFCC officers neither removed nor harassed anyone during the visit. “We didn’t eject or molest anybody. We did our marking and left,” he said.
Addressing concerns about the absence of prior notice, Mr Oyewale argued that Mr Sylva was already aware of the investigation, noting that he had been declared wanted by the commission. According to him, placing markings on assets under investigation falls within the agency’s established procedures.
“We’re not operating outside the law,” he added.
