An arrest warrant issued for Nigeria’s former oil minister, Timipre Sylva, by the country’s anti-corruption agency is politically motivated, his spokesperson has said.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accused Sylva and others of diverting around $15m (£11m) of public funds intended for the construction of an oil refinery.
It issued a “wanted notice” on social media, asking anybody with useful information about his whereabouts to get in contact.
Sylva’s spokesperson, Julius Bokoru, said the former minister was in the UK for a medical check-up and would contact the EFCC on his return. He added that the refinery project was above board with “traceable documentation”.
“The refinery project in question is a legitimate, transparent, and verifiable undertaking,” he said.
He questioned why the EFCC had not got in contact with the former minister – and said that declaring him wanted on social media was intended to “inflame public sentiment”.
According to the EFCC, its notice followed a warrant issued by a High Court in Lagos last Thursday.
Sylva served as petroleum minister from 2019 to 2023 under the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, and was also governor of the southern oil-rich Bayelsa state from 2007 to 2012.