Aide condemns EFCC’s sealing of Sylva’s Abuja home

Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa

The Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs to former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, Chief Julius Bokoru, has criticised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for sealing his principal’s Maitama residence in Abuja.

In a statement titled “A grave breach of decency: EFCC’s attempted raid and defacement of Sylva’s family home,” Bokoru described the operation as unlawful and carried out “without a single letter, without a subpoena, without a warrant, without notification, and without even the most basic adherence to lawful process.”

He said the EFCC’s conduct was “behaviour unbecoming of any institution that claims to act in the national interest,” adding that officers spray-painted “EFCC—Keep Off” on the walls of Sylva’s residence “as though marking the property of a fugitive rather than the home of a respected statesman.”

Bokoru noted that the incident was especially distressing for Sylva’s children, relatives, and staff who had been “effectively encircled for weeks,” saying the home was the only remaining safe space for them amid restrictions that make it difficult for them to travel freely.

He argued that the EFCC’s action amounted to intimidation and a violation of democratic values. However, he maintained that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was not responsible for what he described as “excesses,” attributing the incident to local political rivalry being misrepresented as federal directive.

According to him, turning government agencies into tools for political battles undermines institutions and threatens democracy.

Bokoru praised Sylva’s long-standing service to Nigeria and his loyalty to the Tinubu administration, stressing that the former governor had remained dignified despite repeated provocations.

He also drew attention to the continued detention of Sylva’s aides and domestic staff — Paganengigha Anagha, Friday Lusa Paul, Musa Mohammed, and Police Officer Reuben Ayuba — alleging they had been held for weeks on “vague, insubstantial, and nearly non-existent allegations.”

Describing their detention as unjust, Bokoru said their ordeal reflects a broader pattern of abuse.

Despite the situation, he expressed hope that justice would prevail, saying Nigeria has survived similar periods of “uncertainty, injustice, and heavy-handedness.”