Former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and ex-Governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, has denied any connection to an alleged coup plot, describing reports linking him to the matter as “false” and “politically motivated.”
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs, Julius Bokoru, Sylva said claims that he fled Nigeria to evade questioning were untrue, explaining that he is currently abroad for a routine medical check-up and professional engagements.
“For the avoidance of doubt, it is true that Mr. Timipre Sylva’s residence was recently subjected to a raid by individuals believed to be operatives of the Defence Headquarters,” Bokoru confirmed.
“However, both Mr. Sylva and his wife, Alanyingi Sylva, were outside the country at the time of the incident.”
Bokoru said the raid on Sylva’s Abuja residence caused significant damage, adding that no explanation or authorisation was provided by the security operatives involved.
“Despite sustained efforts, I have been unable to ascertain the reasons or authorisation for this raid. The officers did not provide any categorical explanation for their actions, either at the time or subsequently,” he noted.
According to the statement, Sylva is currently in the United Kingdom for medical reasons and will proceed to Malaysia to attend a professional conference.
Responding to reports linking his principal to the alleged coup, Bokoru stressed that Sylva “has no involvement whatsoever—either in planning or logistics—with any such plot,” adding that the Defence Headquarters had already dismissed the coup rumours.
“Mr. Sylva is a thoroughbred democrat whose entire political career has been defined by faith in democratic processes and institutions,” the statement said.
“From his days in the old Rivers State House of Assembly in the 1990s to his tenure as Governor of Bayelsa State, he has achieved every milestone through transparent, democratic engagement.”
Bokoru accused unnamed political rivals of orchestrating a smear campaign ahead of the 2027 elections.
“These rumours are the handiwork of desperate politicians already consumed by ambitions for 2027, who see Sylva as their last real obstacle—a man whose credibility continues to expose their self-serving ambitions,” he added.
The statement also highlighted Sylva’s “unwavering support” for President Bola Tinubu, recalling how he led the Bayelsa chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to endorse Tinubu before the 2023 elections.
The clarification followed a report by SaharaReporters on Tuesday, which claimed that Nigerian Army operatives raided Sylva’s Abuja residence in connection with an alleged coup plot under investigation by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).
Multiple sources confirmed to the platform that the operation was conducted by a “special military team” after intelligence reportedly linked a “former South-South governor” to secret meetings with detained military officers.
A source told SaharaReporters that Sylva’s brother, identified as Paga, was arrested during the raid, which also extended to his Bayelsa residence.
Meanwhile, security insiders said the operation was “not random” but a “direct response to intelligence linking certain political figures to the alleged plotters.”
The development comes amid rising tension within the armed forces following reports that at least 16 senior military officers have been detained by the DIA over the alleged coup plot. The officers—drawn from the Army, Navy, and Air Force—have reportedly been held incommunicado for more than three weeks in an undisclosed Abuja facility.
Family members told SaharaReporters that they initially believed their relatives had been kidnapped, as there was no official communication from the military.
“It’s been 18 days since those 16 officers were detained in an undisclosed location,” one family member said. “At first, we thought our brother was kidnapped before finding out what transpired from his friend who works in the NSA office.”
Security analysts have since questioned why the DIA—an intelligence agency under the Ministry of Defence—is leading the investigation rather than the individual military services, describing the move as “highly political.”
“If this were a normal disciplinary action, there could be thousands of similar cases. Why only 16 officers—and why the DIA?” one retired officer asked. “This smells of politics. There’s clearly more happening behind the scenes.”
