Ex-Minister Timipre Sylva Confirms Military Raid On Abuja Residence, Denies Links To Alleged Coup, Says He's In UK On Medical Vacation

A former governor and former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and ex-Governor of Bayelsa State, Mr Timipre Sylva, has denied any link to an alleged coup plot, describing reports suggesting his involvement as “politically motivated.”

In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs, Julius Bokoru, Sylva dismissed claims that he fled the country to evade questioning, clarifying that he has been abroad for a routine medical check-up and a professional engagement.

The statement reads: “For the avoidance of doubt, it is true that the residence of Mr Timipre Sylva, was recently subjected to a raid by individuals believed to be operatives of the Defence Headquarters,” Bokoru stated.

“However, both Mr Sylva and his wife, Alanyingi Sylva, were outside the country at the time of the incident.”

Bokoru disclosed that the former minister’s Abuja home suffered significant damage during the raid, adding that no clear reason or authorisation had been provided by the security personnel 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 said.

The statement further noted that Sylva is currently in the United Kingdom for medical reasons and is expected to attend a professional conference in Malaysia afterwards.

Addressing the speculation linking Sylva to an alleged coup attempt, Bokoru reiterated that the former minister “has no involvement whatsoever—either in planning or logistics—with any such plot,” noting that the Defence Headquarters had already debunked the coup rumours.

“Mr Sylva is a thoroughbred democrat, whose entire political journey has been defined by his faith in democratic processes and institutions,” the statement read.

“From his days in the old Rivers State House of Assembly in the 1990s to his tenure as Governor of Bayelsa State, Sylva has achieved every milestone through transparent, democratic engagement and the will of the people.”

Bokoru accused unnamed political rivals of orchestrating the smear campaign, alleging that the false reports were the handiwork of “desperate and narcissistic politicians” eyeing the 2027 elections.

“These rumours are nothing more than the handiwork of desperate politicians already consumed by ambitions for 2027, who see Sylva as their last real obstacle—a man whose political presence and credibility continue to expose their dark, self-serving ambitions,” he added.

The statement also said Sylva’s “unwavering support” for President Bola Tinubu, recalling how the former minister led the Bayelsa All Progressives Congress (APC) to unanimously endorse Tinubu during the party’s stakeholders’ meeting ahead of the 2023 elections.

SaharaReporters reported exclusively on Tuesday that some Nigerian Army personnel raided the Abuja residence of Sylva, in connection with an alleged coup plot currently under investigation by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).  

Multiple security sources confirmed to SaharaReporters on Tuesday that the army raid occurred at Sylva’s home in the Maitama area of Abuja. 

According to insiders, a “special military team” carried out the operation after intelligence linked the “former South-South governor” to secret meetings allegedly held with some of the detained military officers.

“Nigerian Army special team ransacked the home of Timipre Sylva, who is believed to have fled Nigeria,” one top source familiar with the development had told SaharaReporters.

“He is the South-South former governor frequently mentioned in the case. His brother, named Paga, was picked up during the raid. The operation also extended to his Bayelsa residence.”

Another security insider said that while no official statement had been issued regarding the raid, the action was “not random” but “a direct response to intelligence linking certain political figures to the alleged plotters."

This development comes amid growing tension within the armed forces following SaharaReporters’ exclusive report that at least 16 senior military officers had been detained incommunicado by the DIA over an alleged coup plot.

The detained officers, drawn from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, have been held for over three weeks in an undisclosed Abuja facility under what sources described as “unusual and suspicious conditions.”

Family members told SaharaReporters they initially believed their relatives had been kidnapped, as there was no official communication from the military regarding their arrests.

“It’s been 18 days since those 16 officers were detained in an undisclosed location. At first, we thought our brother was kidnapped before finding out what transpired from his friend who works in the NSA office,” a family member had said.

Security analysts have questioned why the DIA, an intelligence agency under the Ministry of Defence, is spearheading the investigation instead of allowing each military service to handle its personnel internally, a move seen as “highly political.”

“If the military were truly conducting a disciplinary operation, over 10,000 cases could emerge. Why only 16 officers, and why hand them to the DIA?” one retired officer asked. “This smells of politics. There’s clearly more going on behind the scenes.”