…As he reportedly flees Nigeria
Nigerian security forces have launched a manhunt for former Bayelsa State governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, following allegations linking him to a foiled military coup plot.
Armed personnel of the Nigerian Army and operatives of the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) reportedly raided Sylva’s Abuja and Bayelsa residences early yesterday, acting on what officials described as “credible intelligence” connecting the former minister to detained officers accused of plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Multiple security sources confirmed that the operation, carried out by a special military task team, led to the arrest of Sylva’s brother, identified as Paga, in Bayelsa. The officers were said to have recovered undisclosed “incriminating materials,” including cash in foreign currencies, from one of the properties.
According to inside reports, Sylva allegedly fled Nigeria through the Niger Delta creeks to Senegal upon learning that the coup plot had been uncovered. From there, he was said to be making arrangements to travel to Argentina, where he reportedly owns several business interests.
Sources within the security establishment claimed that one of the first arrested military officers named Sylva as the “arrowhead and financier” of the alleged plot. Investigators have reportedly traced over ₦46 billion to an account linked to the former minister, suspected to have been used to bankroll the planned takeover.
A top military insider who spoke anonymously said, “The raid wasn’t random. There’s clear intelligence connecting certain political figures, including a South-South ex-governor, to the detained officers. Sylva’s name came up repeatedly during interrogation”.
The development comes amid rising unease in the Armed Forces, as at least sixteen senior officers from the Army, Navy, and Air Force remain in DIA custody over the same allegations. They have been held incommunicado for more than three weeks in an undisclosed Abuja facility, sparking concern among family members and rights groups.
Security analysts, however, have questioned the DIA’s heavy involvement, suggesting possible political undertones. “If this were strictly a military disciplinary issue, it would be handled internally”, one retired officer said. “The involvement of the DIA and the focus on select individuals suggest politics may be at play”.
Sylva, a close ally of former President Muhammadu Buhari, served as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources from 2019 to 2023 and was the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Bayelsa’s 2023 election, which he lost to Governor Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
As of press time, neither the military nor the former minister’s aides had issued any official statement regarding the allegations. However, sources hinted that international security agencies have been placed on alert to monitor his possible movements abroad.
