Timipre Sylva wanted by EFCC over alleged conspiracy and dishonest conversion of $14.8m funds linked to Atlantic International Refinery project

Ex-Minister Timipre Sylva wanted by EFCC has become a trending topic after Nigeria’s anti-graft agency declared the former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources wanted over an alleged $14.8 million fraud.

Also read: Timipre Sylva linked to alleged coup funding probe

In a public notice issued on Monday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said Sylva was wanted in connection with conspiracy and dishonest conversion of $14,859,257, reportedly provided by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for the Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical project.

According to EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale, the warrant for Sylva’s arrest was secured on November 6, 2025, at the Federal High Court in Lagos, presided over by Justice D.I. Dipeolu.

The order empowered EFCC officers and other law enforcement agencies to apprehend Sylva and bring him in for questioning over the alleged offence.

The commission’s notice described Sylva, aged 61 and from Brass Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, as a person of interest and urged anyone with useful information on his whereabouts to contact EFCC offices nationwide or the nearest police station.

This latest development adds to growing scrutiny around the Atlantic Refinery project, which had earlier prompted the House of Representatives to open an investigation into the alleged mismanagement of a $35 million federal investment by NCDMB.

Lawmaker Billy Osawaru had moved a motion questioning why the refinery project had yet to materialise years after the funds were disbursed.

Reports indicate that stakeholders petitioned the EFCC in May 2024 to probe the project’s finances, but the agency’s silence until now had drawn criticism.

The House subsequently directed its Committees on Midstream, Downstream, and Legislative Compliance to investigate and report their findings within four weeks.

The embattled former minister, who also served as Governor of Bayelsa State and remains a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has been no stranger to controversy.

Only weeks earlier, his Abuja residence was raided by the military on October 25, following allegations of involvement in an attempted coup—a claim his aides have vehemently denied.

His Special Assistant on Media, Julius Bokoru, dismissed the coup allegations as false and condemned the raid, claiming it caused significant damage to Sylva’s property.

Also read: EFCC hands over recovered assets to fraud victim

The Timipre Sylva wanted by EFCC case marks yet another turbulent episode for the former minister, as investigators intensify efforts to unravel what has become one of Nigeria’s most controversial oil sector fraud allegations in recent years.