The EFCC has placed former Minister Timipre Sylva on international watchlists for alleged conspiracy and misappropriation of $14.8 million linked to a failed refinery project.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, wanted over an alleged conspiracy and dishonest conversion of $14,859,257.
According to a report from PUNCH, the funds were provided by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited.
EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale said Sylva has been placed on the watchlists of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, Interpol, the UK Metropolitan Police, and security agencies in Canada and other countries.
A source familiar with the case added, “The case has been on for a long time. The former minister was visiting our office until he later stopped. So, now that we have declared him wanted, he has also been placed on the watchlists of the US FBI, Interpol, and other security agencies.”
The EFCC obtained a Federal High Court arrest warrant on November 6, 2025, with Justice D.I. Dipeolu directing law enforcement to arrest Sylva and bring him before the commission.
Sylva’s media aide, Julius Bokoru, described the notice as politically motivated, saying, “No formal communication was extended to him, no established protocol observed—only a sudden digital proclamation designed…to inflame public sentiment and manufacture yet another episode of orchestrated hostility.” He added, “Chief Timipre Sylva remains…a law-abiding citizen and will honour the EFCC invitation as soon as he concludes his medical trip in the United Kingdom.”
The development follows parliamentary concerns over NCDMB’s $35 million investment in a modular refinery project that never materialised in the Niger Delta.