“EFCC STORMS SYLVA’S HOME LIKE A CRIME SYNDICATE — Children Trapped, Walls Vandalised!”
By Paul Ebi
Abuja was jolted on Monday after armed operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) stormed the Maitama residence of former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and ex-Bayelsa Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, in what his aide has described as nothing short of an “assault on decency, democracy, and humanity.”
In a blistering statement titled “A Grave Breach of Decency: EFCC’s Attempted Raid and Defacement of Sylva’s Family Home,” Julius Bokoru, Sylva’s special assistant, said the anti-graft agency carried out the shocking operation without a single trace of legality.
> “No courtesy. No procedure. No humanity,” Bokoru thundered.“It is behaviour unbecoming of any institution that claims to act in the national interest.”
PAINTED LIKE A CRIME SCENE
According to Bokoru, EFCC operatives aggressively intruded into the residence and spray-painted the walls in bold red with the infamous inscription: “EFCC — KEEP OFF!” — branding the home of a former governor like the hideout of a fugitive.
He described the move as “vindictive, unlawful and arbitrary,” revealing that Sylva’s family members — including his children and domestic staff — have been “boxed in for weeks,” traumatised and restricted from leaving the country.
> “To violate such a place, without warning, without justification, is to inflict terror upon innocent people,” Bokoru lamented.“Where are his children expected to go? How long must they endure this fear?”
EFCC’S ‘POLITICAL PLAY’, NOT NATIONAL DUTY — BOKORU
Slamming the agency for what he called “a disturbing descent into raw political aggression,” Bokoru insisted the operation had no federal backing and bore the fingerprints of local political rivalry twisted into national authority.
> “We remain firmly convinced President Tinubu is not involved,” he said.“This has all the hallmarks of political mischief masquerading as federal instruction.”
He warned that turning state institutions into weapons of political vendetta “weakens not only the institutions but the very fabric of our democracy.”
STAFF DETAINED FOR WEEKS; FAMILIES IN PAIN
Bokoru further revealed that several domestic workers — Paganengigha Anagha, Friday Lusa Paul, Musa Mohammed, and Police Officer Reuben Ayuba — have been detained for weeks over what he called “nearly non-existent allegations.”
> “These are ordinary men with families, now caught in a political dragnet,” he stated.“Their suffering is needless. Their detention is unjust.”
“THIS TOO SHALL PASS” — HOPE IN THE MIDST OF CHAOS
Despite the crisis, Bokoru expressed optimism that truth will eventually eclipse intimidation.
> “Nigeria has weathered storms before — storms of injustice, of heavy-handedness — and emerged stronger. Justice will rise above malice.”
BACKGROUND: EFCC SAYS SYLVA WANTED OVER $14.8M CLAIM
Prior reports show the EFCC had declared Sylva wanted over an alleged $14,859,257 financial matter linked to Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited.
But Bokoru insists what unfolded in Maitama was not law enforcement — but political persecution.
THE BIGGER QUESTION
If due process collapses before the eyes of the nation, what becomes of the democratic rights of ordinary citizens?
One thing is clear:
The storm around Timipre Sylva is no longer legal. It is political — and now intensely personal.
