Sylva Storm: Fury Erupts Over ‘Mysterious Detention ‘ of Ex- Governor’s Aides As Pressure Mounts on EFCC
By Passman Akpos
Nigeria has been thrown into yet another whirlwind of political tension as the camp of former Governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, CON, raises the alarm over what they describe as the “strange, unjust and inhumane detention” of his personal aides — a situation fast escalating into a full-blown national controversy.
In a dramatic public statement on Saturday, Chief Julius Bokoru, Sylva’s media aide, issued a fiery denunciation of what he called a “disturbing chain of events” involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), local political actors, and unnamed state operatives.
According to Bokoru, despite formal communication with the EFCC confirming Sylva’s willingness to appear before the Commission — and despite his ongoing treatment for a life-threatening medical condition — several of his aides remain in detention without clear explanation.
Those still allegedly held include:
Mr. Paganengigha Anagha
Musa Mohammed, Sylva’s driver
Police Officer Ayuba ReubenMr. Friday Lusa Paul, escort driver
Their families, Bokoru says, are living through “a nightmare with no end in sight.”
COUP ALLEGATIONS, SECURITY SIEGE AND A DEEPENING MYSTERY
Only weeks ago, the public had been rattled by rumblings of a supposed coup plot — whispers that briefly, and falsely, brushed against Sylva’s name. The Federal Government and military authorities dismissed the rumours outright, but the political aftershocks continue to ripple.
Bokoru alleges that Sylva’s home in Maitama has been under a ‘round-the-clock security siege,’ with his children and household staff effectively confined. Even routine communications, he claims, have become acts of personal risk.
“This is no longer politics,” he warned. “This is human suffering.”
kA STATESMAN UNDER PRESSURE — OR A TARGET?
Sylva’s supporters argue that the former minister — celebrated for pushing the Petroleum Industry Bill until it finally became the Petroleum Industry Act, and credited with helping stabilise the Niger Delta through the Presidential Amnesty Programme — is being dragged into local political vendettas dressed up as national enforcement actions.
They insist President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has no hand in the ongoing drama.Indeed, they point to Sylva’s recent public endorsement of Tinubu’s second-term ambition at the APC enlarged stakeholders’ meeting in Bayelsa as proof that no rift exists between the two men.
“What we are witnessing,” Bokoru cautioned, “is the danger of local political grudges masquerading as federal directives.”
THE APPEAL: “LET THESE MEN GO HOME”
In a plea dripping with both desperation and defiance, Bokoru called for the immediate release of the detained aides and an end to the security lockdown he claims has enveloped Sylva’s household.
“Let Mr. Paganengigha Anagha, Musa Mohammed, Police Officer Ayuba Reuben and Mr. Friday Lusa Paul return to their families,” he said.“Let due process — the bedrock of any civilised democracy — prevail.”
He reiterated that Sylva has already pledged to appear before the EFCC
AS BAYELSA HOLDS ITS BREATHWithin Bayelsa’s political circles, tension is rising. APC loyalists, particularly those aligned with Sylva, are watching closely. The fear in many quarters is that this saga — if mishandled — could snowball into a broader conflict capable of destabilising both the state and the national political landscape.For now, Sylva’s camp says it is waiting, watching, and hoping the “long night of anxiety” will soon give way to clarity — and justice.
Whether this marks the beginning of a political storm or the end of a dangerous misunderstanding remains to be seen.
