Timipre Sylva Denies Link to Alleged Coup Plot Against Tinubu, Says Military Raid Unjustified
Former Governor of Bayelsa State and immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, has denied any involvement in the alleged coup plot to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
In a statement by his media aide, Julius Bokoru, Sylva confirmed that soldiers believed to be from the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) recently raided his Abuja residence, causing extensive damage to the property. He described the raid as unjustified and without proper authorisation.
Reports earlier suggested that military personnel conducted coordinated raids on Sylva’s residences in Abuja and Bayelsa over alleged links to a failed coup attempt.
Reacting, Bokoru described the allegations as politically motivated, orchestrated by “desperate and narcissistic politicians” eyeing the 2027 general elections.
Titled “Setting the Record Straight on Recent False Reports About Sylva,” the statement also dismissed rumours that the former minister had fled the country.
“For the avoidance of doubt, it is true that the residence of His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva, was recently subjected to a raid by individuals believed to be operatives of the Defence Headquarters. During the said operation, considerable damage was inflicted upon the property,” Bokoru stated.
He added that Sylva and his wife, Alanyingi Sylva, were both outside the country at the time — with Sylva undergoing a routine medical check-up in the United Kingdom before proceeding to Malaysia for a professional conference.
The statement reaffirmed that Sylva has no link to any alleged coup plot, noting that the Defence Headquarters had already dismissed such rumours.
“Chief Timipre Sylva has no involvement whatsoever either in planning or logistics with any such plot. He is a thoroughbred democrat whose political career has been defined by faith in democratic processes and institutions,” Bokoru emphasized.
He also reiterated Sylva’s loyalty to President Tinubu, recalling how the former governor mobilised the entire Bayelsa APC structure to endorse the President at the APC Bayelsa Expanded Stakeholders’ Meeting, underscoring his commitment to party unity and national stability.
A source close to the investigation claimed the detained official was arrested for allegedly transferring large sums to a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, reportedly suspected of financing the alleged plot to destabilize the Tinubu administration.
