Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, has condemned the sealing of his Maitama residence in Abuja by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Sylva’s Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Julius Bokoru, made this known in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

The statement, titled “A grave breach of decency: EFCC’s attempted raid and defacement of Sylva’s family home,” described the commission’s latest action as unlawful and conducted without adherence to due process.

News reports that the EFCC had, in November, declared Sylva wanted over an alleged 14.8 million-dollar fraud. Earlier, military intelligence personnel raided the former minister’s residence, arresting his brother and driver in connection with an alleged failed coup attempt.
Sylva had written to the EFCC last week, proposing a mutually agreed date to honour its invitation.

According to Bokoru, the sealing of the residence was carried out “without a single letter, without a subpoena, without a warrant, without notification, and without even the most basic adherence to lawful process.”

He said the officers spray-painted parts of the building in red with the inscription “EFCC — Keep Off,” describing the act as unbecoming of an institution expected to operate within the law.

“What unfolded today 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,” he said.

Bokoru added that the residence had served as the only available space for Sylva’s children, relatives and staff, who had been restricted to the premises for weeks.

“It is the last space available to them, especially now that it appears they are not permitted to leave the country freely. To violate such a place without warning, without justification, is to inflict terror upon innocent people who have no connection whatsoever to political gamesmanship,” he said.

He queried the treatment of Sylva’s family, asking, “Where are his children expected to go? How long must they endure this atmosphere of fear and uncertainty?”

Describing the EFCC’s action as “arbitrary” and “vindictive,” Bokoru said it undermined democratic values and the principles the commission was established to defend.

He distanced President Bola Tinubu from the development, noting that the President had demonstrated consistent respect for due process throughout his public service career.

“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,” he said.

He urged government agencies to resist being used as instruments in political disputes, saying such tendencies weaken public institutions and threaten democratic stability.

Bokoru noted that several of Sylva’s aides and domestic staff — Paganengigha Anagha, Friday Lusa Paul, Musa Mohammed and Police Officer Reuben Ayuba — remained in detention for weeks on what he described as unclear allegations.

“These are ordinary men, with families and hopes of their own, now caught in a political dragnet that has stripped them of clarity, certainty and liberty,” he said.

He said their prolonged detention was unjust and reflected a wider injustice unfolding around the former minister.

Despite the concerns raised, Bokoru expressed confidence that justice would prevail.

“Nigeria has weathered storms before — storms of uncertainty, of injustice, of heavy-handedness — and emerged stronger. We believe justice will rise above intimidation and that truth will outlast malice,” he stated.