Julius Bokoru, special assistant to Timipre Sylva, former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and ex-Governor of Bayelsa State, has condemned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for sealing his principal’s Maitama residence in Abuja, calling the action unlawful, vindictive, and inconsistent with democratic norms.

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 executed without due process, including no letter, subpoena, warrant, or prior notification.

“No courtesy. No procedure. No humanity. It is behavior unbecoming of any institution that claims to act in the national interest,” Bokoru said, describing how EFCC officers allegedly spray-painted the residence with the words ‘EFCC — Keep Off’.

He stressed that the property is a family home, housing Sylva’s children, relatives, and staff, who have reportedly been encircled for weeks.

“To violate such a place, without warning or justification, is to inflict terror upon innocent people who have no connection whatsoever to political gamesmanship,” Bokoru said.

Bokoru dismissed claims that President Bola Tinubu sanctioned the action, stating:

“We remain firmly convinced that President Tinubu is not involved in these excesses. Throughout his long and distinguished public life, the President has shown unwavering respect for due process, fairness, and institutional integrity.”

He suggested that the EFCC’s action reflects local political rivalry, rather than federal instruction, warning against the misuse of government agencies as instruments in political conflicts.

Bokoru also reported that several of Sylva’s aides and domestic staff — Paganengigha Anagha, Friday Lusa Paul, Musa Mohammed, and Police Officer Reuben Ayuba — remain detained on vague allegations, describing their detention as unjust and unnecessary.

Despite the situation, Bokoru expressed optimism:

“Nigeria has weathered storms before, storms of uncertainty, of injustice, of heavy-handedness, and emerged stronger. We believe justice will rise above intimidation, that truth will outlast malice, and that, as with all trials faced with dignity and faith, this too shall pass.”

Earlier in November, the EFCC declared Sylva wanted in connection with an alleged $14.86 million fraud. According to Dele Oyewale, EFCC Head of Media & Publicity, Sylva faces charges of Conspiracy and Dishonest Conversion of funds injected by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) into Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited for refinery construction.