Former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, has officially contacted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), requesting a new date for his scheduled appearance concerning an alleged $14.8 million fraud.
The letter, was dated the 24th of November and formally acknowledged by the anti-graft agency on the 26th of November, addresses the recent move to declare him wanted. Sylva explicitly stated that the plan to declare him wanted was “unnecessary and too early.”
The former Bayelsa State Governor explained his immediate inability to appear by citing that he is currently undergoing urgent medical treatment for a life-threatening condition. He informed the Commission that he is in constant consultation with his doctors to determine when it will be safe to temporarily halt his treatment and respond to the EFCC’s invitation.
In his correspondence, Sylva pleaded for a collaborative approach: “In view of the foregoing, I most humbly request that a mutually agreed date be set, subject to medical clearance, to enable me to appear physically.”
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He further expressed his trust in the Commission’s motive and stressed the necessity of his health for the process, writing: “I trust that the objective of your invitation is not to harm me but to genuinely investigate an alleged crime, in which case my request will be in order.” He concluded this part by stating, “For only the living can fully and responsibly respond to any allegation, which I firmly deny.”
Sylva also used the letter to remind the EFCC of their prior engagement, stating he had complied with a previous invitation in December 2024, provided detailed explanations, and was subsequently granted administrative bail on self-recognition, with the clear understanding that he would only be contacted again if further clarification was necessary.
The EFCC had declared Sylva wanted on the 10th November, 2025, following a warrant issued against him by a Federal High Court in Lagos on the 6th of November, 2025.