The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has asked former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva, to make himself available for questioning over an alleged $14.86 million fraud case.
The commission’s spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, made the call on Monday while responding to allegations by Sylva that the anti-graft agency had become politically aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“He has been declared wanted; he should make himself available to the commission,” Oyewale said.
The development comes shortly after Sylva announced his resignation from the APC on Monday, August 31, 2026.
Why the EFCC wants Sylva
The EFCC declared Sylva wanted in November 2025 in connection with an alleged case of conspiracy and dishonest conversion involving $14,859,257.
The former governor has not appeared before the commission in connection with the investigation and remains wanted, according to the EFCC.
The latest call by the commission is therefore an invitation for Sylva to make himself available to investigators.
Sylva accuses EFCC of political bias
Sylva’s resignation from the APC came with strong criticism of the party and the Federal Government.
In his resignation letter dated August 31, 2026, the former governor accused the APC leadership of abandoning the principles upon which the party was founded.
He also criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu, saying the government had disappointed many Nigerians.
Sylva specifically accused the EFCC of increasingly conducting itself as an organ of the APC rather than as an institution of the Nigerian state.
He said he was aware that his resignation could lead to further investigations against him and his associates, but added that he was prepared to take that risk.
Sylva faces other allegations
The former governor is also listed as a defendant in a separate 13-count federal charge involving allegations including treason, terrorism-related offences, conspiracy and money laundering linked to an alleged plot against the Tinubu administration.
Sylva has denied involvement in the alleged plot.
The allegations remain subject to judicial proceedings, and Sylva has not been convicted of the offences.
In July 2026, the Department of State Services arraigned five of Sylva’s associates over allegations that they concealed his whereabouts after he was declared wanted in connection with the alleged plot.
The defendants pleaded not guilty and were granted bail.
EFCC property forfeiture case
The EFCC also obtained an interim forfeiture order in May 2026 covering nine properties allegedly linked to Sylva.
The order followed an application by the anti-graft agency as investigations into the former governor continued.
The forfeiture order is separate from a criminal conviction and does not by itself establish that Sylva committed the alleged offences.
What happens next?
The immediate question is whether Sylva will respond to the EFCC’s demand and appear before the commission for questioning.
The EFCC maintains that he has been declared wanted and should make himself available.
Sylva, meanwhile, has accused the commission of political bias and suggested that his resignation from the APC could trigger further investigations against him.
The development comes at a politically sensitive period as parties and political actors begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections.
For Nigerians, the case raises wider questions about the independence of anti-corruption agencies, accountability for alleged financial crimes and the need for such investigations to be conducted transparently and in accordance with due process.
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