The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has sealed the Abuja residence of Timipre Sylva, the immediate past minister of state for petroleum.
Julius Bokuro, special assistant on media to Sylva, revealed this in a statement on Monday, while criticizing the agency over the sealing of his principal’s home.
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Sylva, a former governor of Bayelsa, is locked in a dispute with the EFCC over the probe of the $14.8 million meant for a refinery project in Brass LGA of the state.
In the statement titled “Grave Breach of Decency: EFCC Attempted Raid and Defacement of Sylva’s Family Home”, Bokuro said the action was carried out without a warrant and without “even the most basic adherence to lawful process”.
His words: “It is behaviour unbecoming of any institution that claims to act in the national interest. What unfolded at the Maitama residence of His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva, was nothing short of an affront to decency and a troubling assault on the very principles that underpin a civilised society.”
“Officers of the EFCC attempted yet another aggressive intrusion into his home and proceeded to spray-paint his walls in stark red, emblazoning the words ‘EFCC — Keep Off’ as though marking the property of a fugitive rather than the home of a respected statesman,” Bokuro said.
He added that Sylva’s children, relatives, and staff have been effectively encircled in the house for weeks.
“To violate such a place without warning, without justification is to inflict terror upon innocent people who have no connection whatsoever to political gamesmanship.
“This latest incident bears all the hallmarks of local political rivalry being misinterpreted, or mischievously presented, as federal instruction. It is a dangerous muddling of partisan ambition with national authority,” he said.
He warned that agencies must not be used as weapons in political contests.
His words: “Government agencies and parastatals must never allow themselves to become weapons in political contest. Chief Sylva has, for decades, served Nigeria with calmness, loyalty, and an almost disarming sense of patriotism”.
“From his stewardship of Bayelsa state to his contributions at the federal level and his continued, unwavering support for the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he has remained dignified even when confronted with provocation. His commitment to this nation has never faltered”.