Timipre Sylva’s Men Detained, Family Under 24-Hour Watch — Aide Cries Out, Absolves Tinubu

The controversy surrounding the continued detention of aides to Timipre Sylva, former governor of Bayelsa State and ex–minister of state for petroleum resources, has deepened as his media aide raised fresh concerns over what he described as a widening breach of due process and basic humanity.

In a statement on Sunday, Julius Bokoru, special assistant on media and public affairs to Sylva, said it was “disturbing and unjustifiable” that several members of the former minister’s support staff remain in custody despite formal communication affirming Sylva’s readiness to honour an invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He said Sylva had already informed the Commission of his willingness to appear once a mutually agreeable date is set, stressing that the only condition was the completion of ongoing treatment for a life-threatening medical condition.

“What we have here is not law enforcement but excess,” he said. “Chief Sylva has written, he has stated his condition clearly, and he has made himself available. There is no justification for the continued detention of innocent men.”

Bokoru noted that the situation had become more unsettling given earlier attempts to link Sylva to a purported coup plot — allegations the federal government and the military have since dismissed “in absolute terms.”

“The detention of these men is the most painful part of this entire episode,” he said. “They are fathers, husbands, ordinary Nigerians whose families are now living through trauma with no clarity on why they are being held.”

Among those still in custody are Paganengigha Anagha, Musa Mohammed, Police Officer Ayuba Reuben and Friday Lusa Paul, an escort driver. Bokoru said their arrest and continued detention have thrown their families into fear and confusion.

He added that the situation around Sylva’s private residence has heightened tensions, with security operatives maintaining round-the-clock presence. According to him, this “24-hour encirclement” has left Sylva’s young children and household effectively confined.

“What is happening at Chief Sylva’s residence is unnecessary,” he said. “It sends the wrong message, not just to his supporters but to Nigerians who believe in fairness and proportionality.”

Bokoru argued that these developments risk overshadowing the contributions of a statesman who played key roles in stabilising critical national sectors — from championing the reforms that led to the Petroleum Industry Act to helping midwife the Presidential Amnesty Programme at the peak of Niger Delta unrest.

He cautioned against what he described as attempts to pull Sylva into local political rivalries, insisting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must not be linked to the ongoing tensions. He said Sylva has repeatedly expressed support for the President, including during a recent APC stakeholders’ meeting in Bayelsa where he endorsed Tinubu’s second-term bid.

“There is a clear and widespread belief among Sylva’s supporters that President Tinubu is not the architect of this ordeal,” Bokoru said. “Those trying to drag the Presidency into a purely local issue are being unfair both to the President and to the truth.”

He called for the immediate release of the detained aides, the lifting of the security cordon around Sylva’s family, and a return to due process. According to him, Sylva has fulfilled every obligation expected of an honourable man by formally committing to appear before the EFCC once cleared medically.

“Our appeal is simple: release these men, end the siege, and let fairness prevail,” he said. “Chief Sylva has done his part. The law should now do its part.”

Bokoru said supporters of the former governor across the APC structure in Bayelsa and beyond “remain hopeful that this long night of anxiety will soon give way to a calmer, brighter morning.”