Sylva’s Aide Slams EFCC ‘Wanted’ Declaration as Politically Motivated Smear Campaign

Julius Bokoru, Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs to former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Timipre Sylva, has condemned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) declaration of his principal as wanted, labeling it a calculated political witch-hunt.The EFCC on Monday announced Sylva’s wanted status over alleged conspiracy and dishonest conversion of $14,859,257 from funds invested by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) into Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited.In a statement by spokesperson Dele Oyewale, the anti-graft agency urged the public to provide information on Sylva’s whereabouts through its offices or the nearest police station.Responding swiftly, Bokoru described the EFCC’s action as a “digital proclamation” intended to incite public hostility without due process. He stressed that Sylva received no formal notification or invitation prior to the public notice.“It is curious that what began as whispered coup allegations has quietly morphed into financial misconduct claims,” Bokoru’s statement read. “No protocol was followed only a sudden online declaration seemingly designed to fuel orchestrated public outrage. The same forces that once tried to criminalize Sylva politically have now rebranded as anti-corruption champions.”Bokoru asserted that the move is part of a broader campaign by political adversaries unsettled by Sylva’s continued influence and integrity.He confirmed that Sylva is currently in the United Kingdom for medical treatment but will honor any legitimate EFCC invitation upon his return.“Chief Timipre Sylva has clean hands,” Bokoru declared. “Not a single dollar was diverted. The refinery project is legitimate, transparent, and fully documented under due process.”He called on supporters to remain calm, assuring that “truth, though delayed, will prevail.”The development follows October raids by security operatives on Sylva’s residences in Abuja and Bayelsa, during which his brother was reportedly arrested over unproven claims of involvement in a plot against the Bola Tinubu administration, an allegation Bokoru previously dismissed as politically driven.

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