Timipre Sylva, former Governor of Bayelsa State and one-time Minister of State for Petroleum has accused the Economic and Crimes Commission (EFCC) of breaching due process in declaring him wanted over an alleged $14.85 million fraud.

In a statement issued on Monday by Julius Bokoru, his Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs, the former minister condemned what he described as the EFCC’s “unprocedural and theatrical” handling of the matter, saying the anti-graft agency failed to observe basic communication or investigative protocols before making its announcement.

“No formal communication was extended to him, no established protocol observed, only a sudden digital proclamation designed, it would seem, to inflame public sentiment and manufacture yet another episode of orchestrated hostility,” Sylva stated.

The EFCC had earlier on Monday declared Sylva wanted via a post on its official social media platforms, alongside his photograph.

The Commission accused the former minister of conspiracy and dishonest conversion of funds belonging to the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), meant for the construction of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited.

The agency said It secured a warrant for Sylva’s arrest on November 6 from D.I. Dipeolu, Justice of the Federal High Court, Lagos.

The warrant authorised law enforcement agencies to apprehend the former minister “for the purpose of bringing him before the Commission to answer to the criminal offence he is alleged to have committed.”

The EFCC claims the case involves the diversion of $14.85 million provided by NCDMB for the refinery project , a transaction the Commission suspects was executed without transparency and contrary to the public interest.

Sylva described the EFCC’s action as a continuation of a political persecution against his principal, alleging that the move was the latest phase of a “calculated and coordinated” effort to tarnish Sylva’s image and diminish his political relevance.

“His recent travails bear an uncanny resemblance to the trials of Job in Holy Scripture, each ordeal arriving with near-mathematical precision, each accusation discredited only for another to appear.

“These are no coincidences; they are deliberate machinations of those who dread Sylva’s enduring political relevance and moral resolve”, the statement reads in part.

He also noted that the matter appeared to have “mysteriously evolved” from what insiders once called a “coup-related investigation” into a financial allegation.

“It is curious that what was once whispered in corridors as a ‘coup matter’ has now quietly metamorphosed into a financial allegation,” , he said, describing the transition as “cinematic.”

The former minister’s aide insisted that the Atlantic Refinery project was legitimate, fully documented, and traceable through verifiable records.

“Chief Timipre Sylva has clean hands. He has not diverted a single dollar, nor has he betrayed the trust reposed in him by the Nigerian people,” the statement maintained.

He further added that Sylva would honour the EFCC’s invitation “once he concludes his ongoing medical check-up in the United Kingdom,” stressing that the former minister remains respectful of lawful institutions and due process.

The controversy comes just weeks after Sylva’s Abuja residence was reportedly raided by soldiers investigating an alleged coup plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu.

Although the former minister confirmed the raid, he denied any involvement in a coup attempt.

“During the said operation, considerable damage was inflicted upon the property. Despite sustained efforts, I have been unable to ascertain the reasons or authorisation for this raid,” Sylva said after the incident.

He urged supporters to remain calm, describing the EFCC’s move as part of a smear campaign that would ultimately fail.

“The desperation to sully Sylva’s name knows no restraint, its sponsors are zealous, its intentions transparent, and its malice unmistakable.

“Truth, though often delayed, remains immutable. It neither bows to propaganda nor perishes in the tumult of falsehood”, he said.

Timipre Sylva, 61, who hails from Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, served as governor of the state between 2007 and 2012 and later as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. (BusinessDay)