The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has officially declared Timipre Sylva, a former Minister of Petroleum Resources and ex-Governor of Bayelsa State, wanted over allegations of financial misconduct involving millions of dollars. According to the anti-graft agency, Sylva is being sought in connection with a case of conspiracy and dishonest conversion of $14,859,257 — funds reportedly invested by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) into Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited for the establishment of a refinery project.

The EFCC disclosed that on November 6, 2025, it obtained a warrant of arrest against the former minister from a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos. The warrant, issued by Justice D.I. Dipeolu, authorizes law enforcement officers, including EFCC operatives, police personnel, or any other security agents, to apprehend Sylva and bring him before the Commission to respond to the allegations leveled against him. The court order emphasized that the move was necessary to ensure that Sylva answers to the criminal charges connected to the alleged fraudulent conversion of public funds.

In a statement, the EFCC urged members of the public who may have information regarding Sylva’s whereabouts to immediately contact any of its zonal offices nationwide, the nearest police station, or other relevant security agencies. The Commission reiterated its commitment to ensuring accountability and transparency, stressing that no individual, regardless of social or political status, would be shielded from investigation or prosecution once implicated in financial crimes.

The development marks another high-profile investigation into alleged corruption within Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, drawing attention to the EFCC’s renewed drive to recover public funds and hold former public officials accountable for financial impropriety.