A former Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, has had his Abuja residence sealed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The former Minister under the late President Muhammadu Buhari's Government, has been having a running battle with the EFCC in the past few weeks. Earlier, before his tango with the EFCC, soldiers had raided his house and arrested his driver, a special assistant and a couple of other domestic staff who are, allegedly, still in custody. At the time, his name was linked to an alleged coup plot targeted at the President Bola Tinubu Government, an allegation both Sylva and Defence Headquarters denied.
Thereafter, the EFCC stepped in and declared him wanted over an alleged fraud in connection with about $14.8 million meant for a Refinery in Brass, Bayelsa State.
Sylva had protested the declaration and described it as being in bad fate as he had never skipped any appointment with the EFCC. He said he was currently in the United Kingdom undergoing treatment for a life threatening health issue, and asked the Commission to give him a date for appearance, depending on the advice of his doctors.
But according to his Media Assistant, Julius Bokoru, the EFCC has now upped the ante. He said the Commission, on Monday, has gone ahead to seal Sylva's home, spray- painted: "EFCC "keep Off", on the property as if they were dealing with a fugitive insteas of a respected statesman. For the records, he pointed out that Sylva's children were inside the house which has now been sealed.
In the statement titled "Grave Breach of Decency: EFCC Attempted Raid and Defacement of Sylva's Family Home", Bokuro insisted the EFCC carried out the action without a warrant and without "even the most basic adherence to lawful process".
He said: "It is behaviour unbecoming of any institution that claims to act in the national interest. What unfolded at the Maitama residence of His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva, was nothing short of an affront to decency and a troubling assault on the very principles that underpin a civilised society.
"Officers of the EFCC attempted yet another aggressive intrusion into his home and proceeded to spray-paint his walls in stark red, emblazoning the words 'EFCC -- Keep Off' as though marking the property of a fugitive rather than the home of a respected statesman.
"To violate such a place without warning, without justification is to inflict terror upon innocent people who have no connection whatsoever to political gamesmanship.
"This latest incident bears all the hallmarks of local political rivalry being misinterpreted, or mischievously presented, as federal instruction. It is a dangerous muddling of partisan ambition with national authority.
"Government agencies and parastatals must never allow themselves to become weapons in political contest. Chief Sylva has, for decades, served Nigeria with calmness, loyalty, and an almost disarming sense of patriotism.
"From his stewardship of Bayelsa state to his contributions at the federal level and his continued, unwavering support for the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he has remained dignified even when confronted with provocation. His commitment to this nation has never faltered."