Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
The Federal Government has signaled its readiness to arraign a former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva, in absentia over an alleged $14,859,257 fraud, even as he has been linked to a purported plot to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Sylva, who has reportedly remained outside the country for several months, has not returned to Nigeria since operatives of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) raided his Abuja residence late last year.
Sources disclosed that government prosecutors are considering arraignment in absentia should the former governor continue to evade appearance in court.
Sylva has also been reportedly implicated in the alleged botched coup plot against President Tinubu.
No fewer than 16 military officers and a Nollywood actor have already been penciled for trial in connection with the alleged plot—an incident that the military authorities initially dismissed but later acknowledged.
Sources familiar with the matter further revealed that the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL), in collaboration with Nigerian security agencies, is currently trailing the former governor.
Although Sylva was not at home during the raid on his Abuja residence, his younger brother, Paga—who serves as his Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs—and his driver were arrested during the operation.
The former governor was declared wanted on November 10, 2025, over allegations of conspiracy and dishonest conversion of $14,859,257. The funds were said to be part of monies injected by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) into Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited for the construction of a refinery.
However, Sylva has denied any involvement in the alleged coup plot.
Reacting, his Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Julius Bokoru, dismissed reports linking his principal to the plot as baseless, malicious, and politically motivated.
According to Bokoru, the allegations were the handiwork of “desperate and self-seeking politicians seeking to actualise their ambitions ahead of the 2027 elections.”
In a statement, Bokoru also faulted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), noting that the former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources was currently undergoing a medical examination in the United Kingdom and would honor the commission’s invitation upon his return to Nigeria.
