Six Contest EFCC Move to Seize Assets Linked to Ex-Gov Timipre Sylva

Six Contest EFCC Move to Seize Assets Linked to Ex-Gov Timipre Sylva

The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the EFCC’s forfeiture case against nine properties linked to former Bayelsa Governor Timipre Sylva, as six parties have filed affidavits claiming ownership of several high-value Abuja assets while three properties remain unclaimed.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is seeking the permanent forfeiture of nine properties allegedly linked to former Bayelsa State Governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva. However, the legal proceedings have taken a complex turn following the emergence of multiple claimants who have stepped forward to contest the anti-graft agency’s move.

Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja adjourned the case to July 16, 2026, after the EFCC’s counsel, Oluwaleke Atolagbe, failed to file a report of compliance regarding an earlier interim forfeiture order granted by the court. The court had on April 24, 2026, ordered the temporary forfeiture of the nine properties following an ex parte motion filed by the EFCC under the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006. The properties are located in choice areas of Abuja, including Maitama, Wuse II, Garki, Mpape, and Dakibiyu.

At the resumed hearing on Monday, approximately six parties filed affidavits to show cause why the properties should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government. Legal representatives appeared for various claimants staking ownership of different assets. Benson Ibezim appeared for claimants linked to properties numbered 1 and 9, which include four blocks of terraces at Dakibiyu and two blocks of buildings in Garki currently occupied by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) . Alex Ejiesieme (SAN) represented parties contesting properties 2 and 5, comprising a duplex with penthouse and office complex in Maitama, as well as eight units of one-bedroom flats at No. 8 Misratah Street, Wuse II, Abuja. Ajayi Olowo appeared for property number 7, described as two blocks containing 12 flats at Thaba Tseka Crescent, Wuse II, while Emmanuella Imonikeh represented claimants linked to property number 3, a standalone duplex at Palm Springs Estate, Mpape.

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However, the EFCC noted that no individual or entity has come forward to claim ownership of the remaining three properties. The unclaimed properties include a block of 10 flats located in Wuse Zone 4, a six-unit block of flats at No. 1 Mubi Close, and a standalone duplex at No. 18 Nile Lake, Plot 1271, Maitama. The EFCC disclosed that it had filed a motion on notice on May 22 seeking a final forfeiture order for the three unclaimed properties, arguing that no party had shown cause against their permanent seizure by the Federal Government. However, Justice Egwuatu observed that the motion was not yet before the court.

The judge also noted procedural lapses, as the EFCC lawyer admitted that only one party had been served with the relevant court processes. Although the commission had complied with the publication order by placing notices in the Tribune and Punch newspapers, Justice Egwuatu directed the EFCC to publish the motion seeking final forfeiture of the three unclaimed properties in the same manner the interim order was published. He further ordered the commission to serve all parties yet to receive the processes and file the necessary compliance reports in the interest of a fair hearing. The judge also directed the EFCC to respond to all processes filed by interested parties before adjourning the matter until July 16 for a report of compliance.

The properties in question are alleged to be proceeds of unlawful activities, and Sylva has been linked to an ongoing coup trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja. The federal government is prosecuting six men, including two retired military officers and a serving police officer, on charges including treason, terrorism, and money laundering. Sylva’s name appears in seven out of the total 13 charges in that case. The six defendants in the coup trial are Mohammed Ibrahim Gana (a retired major-general), Erasmus Ochegobia Victor (a retired navy captain), Ahmed Ibrahim (a police inspector), Zekeri Umoru (an electrician at the Presidential Villa), Bukar Kashim Goni, and Abdulkadir Sani (a Zaria-based Islamic cleric). They were arraigned on April 22, 2026, and pleaded not guilty to all 13 charges. The federal government has presented video evidence linking the defendants to the alleged coup plot, with recordings played in open court showing some defendants admitting awareness of the conspiracy.

Sylva, who has not returned to Nigeria since the coup allegations emerged last year, has denied any wrongdoing. He has stated that he was abroad for medical and professional engagements when the reports surfaced. Some of his aides and domestic workers were arrested last year following a raid on his home in Abuja in connection with the coup allegations.

This is not the first time the former governor has faced legal battles with the EFCC. In 2012, Sylva was charged on a six-count charge of allegedly stealing N6.5 billion from Bayelsa State coffers. He was also re-arraigned in 2013 on an amended 42-count charge of money laundering amounting to N19.2 billion during his tenure as governor between 2009 and 2012. According to EFCC findings, Sylva and his accomplices allegedly used three companies – Marlin Maritime Limited, Eat Catering Services Limited, and Haloween-Blue Construction and Logistics Limited – to move about N19.2 billion from Bayelsa State coffers under the false pretence of using the withdrawn money to augment salaries of state government workers.

The court has adjourned the current forfeiture case to July 16, 2026, for a report of compliance.

 

Six Contest EFCC Move to Seize Assets Linked to Ex-Gov Timipre Sylva