In the sweltering heat of Nigeria's political underbelly, a bombshell dropped this morning: the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has slapped a wanted notice on Timipre Sylva, the once-untouchable ex-governor of Bayelsa and petroleum heavyweight under Buhari. At 61, the man from Brass Local Government Area, known for his oil-slick charm and Delta swagger, now stares down charges of conspiracy and dishonest conversion of a cool $14,859,257. That's not pocket change; it's funds meant to birth a refinery dream in the Niger Delta.
Back in the day, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) pumped millions into Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, eyeing a Brass facility to crank out 200,000 barrels a day and ease Nigeria's fuel woes. But whispers in Abuja corridors hint at kickbacks, ghost contracts, and a project that's more mirage than machine. Sylva, who helmed the petroleum ministry from 2019 to 2023, allegedly steered those dollars astray. The EFCC's notice, signed by spokesperson Dele Oyewale and blasted across their X feed around 8 AM today, paints a stark portrait: Sylva's formal headshot in a crisp suit, salt-and-pepper hair framing a face that's seen impeachments, elections, and acquittals.
It all traces to a quiet court whisper on November 6, a Lagos State High Court warrant that exploded into public view four days later. "Anybody with useful information," the notice pleads, lists EFCC offices from Ibadan to Abuja, even a hotline: 08093322644. As of 6 PM West African Time, Sylva's radio was silent. No defiant tweet, no emergency presser from his Abuja lair. His last sighting? An APC rally in Yenagoa on November 5, fist-pumping for 2027 dreams. Now, those dreams flicker amid asset freezes and Interpol murmurs.
Social media's a tinderbox. #SylvaWanted lit up X with over 5,000 mentions by evening, activists crowing "Big fish finally hooked!" while APC diehards mutter "Tinubu's witch hunt." One viral thread from @PeteNnanna quips, "From coup plots to cash grabs, Sylva's resume reads like a Nollywood script." Legit.ng captured the frenzy: fans of the anti-graft drive demand swift cuffs, but skeptics eye the timing, fresh off Sylva's 2023 gubernatorial loss to Douye Diri.
This isn't Sylva's first rodeo. The Ijaw son of Brass, with a Harvard polish over his Benin undergrad grit, dodged a 2012 fraud rap and bounced back as minister. Yet, as Nigeria grapples with refineries that promise black gold but deliver dust, this saga stings. Billions vanish while queues snake at pumps, will EFCC's net snag him before he vanishes into the Delta mist? Stay tuned; in Naija's game of thrones, no one's ever truly cornered.
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