Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) announced that Sylva and several others are being investigated over the alleged diversion of about $15 million meant for a refinery construction project. The agency published a public alert on social media asking citizens to report any information about his whereabouts.
Sylva’s spokesperson, Julius Bokoru, dismissed the notice, saying the former minister is currently in the United Kingdom for medical treatment and has not been contacted directly by investigators. He insisted that the refinery initiative was fully compliant with regulations and backed by traceable documentation.
“The project is legitimate and verifiable,” Bokoru said, adding that the EFCC’s decision to issue a social-media alert instead of reaching out formally was designed “to provoke public outrage.”
EFCC officials say their action follows a warrant issued last Thursday by a Lagos High Court.
Sylva served as Nigeria’s minister of state for petroleum resources between 2019 and 2023 under the administration of the late President Muhammadu Buhari. He was previously governor of Bayelsa State, the heartland of Nigeria’s oil-producing Niger Delta.
The development has deepened debate on the transparency of Nigeria’s anti-corruption processes, with some analysts questioning whether public “wanted” declarations are being used more as political pressure than investigative necessity.