EFCC seals Timipre Sylva’s home in Abuja, Aide says its illegal raid

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has sealed the Maitama residence of former Minister of State for Petroleum, Chief Timipre Sylva, triggering strong condemnation from his media aide, Chief Julius Bokoru, who described the operation as a “grave breach of decency.”

In a statement issued on Monday, December 8, 2025, Bokoru accused EFCC operatives of storming the property without adherence to any known legal procedure.

According to him, there was “no letter, no subpoena, no warrant, no notification, and not even the barest courtesy” before officers allegedly attempted another “aggressive intrusion.”

He said the operatives spray-painted the walls of the residence in red with the inscription “EFCC, Keep Off,” portraying the home “as though it belonged to a fugitive rather than a respected statesman.”

Bokoru added that the Maitama property has effectively served as the only refuge for Sylva’s children, relatives, and domestic staff, who he claimed have been “encircled for weeks” and unable to move freely.

“To violate such a place without warning and without justification is to inflict terror upon innocent people who have no connection to political gamesmanship,” he said, questioning how long Sylva’s family must endure the prevailing climate of fear.

The media aide described the action as “arbitrary, vindictive, and an assault on democratic values,” insisting that such conduct was unbecoming of an institution established to uphold justice.

Bokoru distanced President Bola Tinubu from the incident, arguing that the President has consistently demonstrated respect for due process and institutional integrity. He suggested the raid bore “hallmarks of local political rivalry being misinterpreted, or mischievously presented, as federal instruction.”

He warned that turning government agencies into political weapons threatens both institutional stability and Nigeria’s democratic fabric.

The statement also drew attention to the continued detention of several members of Sylva’s household, Paganengigha Anagha, Friday Lusa Paul, Musa Mohammed, and Police Officer Reuben Ayuba, who, according to Bokoru, have been held for weeks on “vague and insubstantial allegations.”

“These are ordinary Nigerians now trapped in a political dragnet that has stripped them of clarity, certainty, and liberty,” he lamented, describing their ordeal as unjust and unnecessary.

Despite the tension, Bokoru expressed optimism that justice would eventually prevail, saying Nigeria has survived similar moments of “heavy-handedness and uncertainty” and would emerge stronger once again.

As of press time, the EFCC had not issued an official response to the allegations.

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