N6.5 Billion Fraud: EFCC Takes Possession Of Former Bayelsa Governor’s Properties

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Thursday, said it has taken possession of 48 properties of the former governor of Bayelsa State, Timpre Sylva, who is being prosecuted at a Federal High Court in Abuja for alleged misappropriation of N6.46 billion state funds when he was governor of the state.

The EFCC said the interim forfeiture order to seize Mr. Sylva’s properties was granted by A. R Mohammed, judge of the Federal High Court, on December 21, 2012.

Assets belonging to the former governor against which a forfeiture order was obtained by the EFCC include a mansion at 3 River Niger Street, plot 3192 Cadastral zone AO, Maitama District Abuja; nine units (comprising six apartments of one bedroom and three apartments of two bedroom) at 8 Sefadu Street Wuse zone 2, plot 262 Cadastral zone AO2, Wuse Abuja; 2 units duplexes at 5 Oguta Street, plot 906 Cadastral zone Wuse 11 Abuja.

Others are a duplex at Plot 1271 Nike Street Cadastral zone AO5, Maitama District Abuja; a duplex at Phase 1 Unit No. 1 (Villa 1) Palm Springs Gold Estate, Cachez Turkey Projects Limited, Mpape, Abuja; 10 units of one room apartments at 8 Mistrata Street plot 232 Cadastral zone Wuse 11 Abuja; five units duplexes at Plot No 1070 Dakibiyu District Cadastral zone B10, Abuja; 16 units service apartments at Plot 1181 Thaba Tseka Crescent, Off IBB Way, Wuse 11, Abuja; and three units of three bedroom flats at No. 1 Mubi Close, Plot 766. Cadastral Zone A01, Garki, Abuja.

Mr. Sylva was first arraigned on Tuesday June 5, 2012.

The first three of the six count charge against him by the EFCC reads: “ That you, Timpre Sylva, as Governor of Bayelsa State, with others now at large, sometime between October, 2009 and February, 2010, at various places in Nigeria, including Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court did conspire to commit a crime to wit: conversion of properties and resources amounting to N2,000,000,000.00 (Two Billion Naira) belonging to Bayelsa State Government and derived from an illegal act, with the aim of concealing the illicit origin of the said amount and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 17(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act), 2004 and punishable under Section 14(1) of the same Act.

“That you, Timpre Sylva, as Governor of Bayelsa State, with others now at large, on or about the 22nd of January, 2010, at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, converted the sum of N380,000,000.00 (Three Hundred and Eighty Million Naira), property of the Bayelsa State Government, through the account of one Habibu Sani Maigidia, a Bureau De Change Operator with Account No. 221433478108, in Fin Bank, Plc, which sum you knew represented the proceeds of an illegal act with the aim of concealing the nature of the proceeds of the said illegal act and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act) 2004 and also punishable under section 14(1) of the same Act.

“That you, Timpre Sylva, as Governor of Bayelsa State, with others now at large, on or about the 5th of February, 2010, at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, converted the sum of N50,000,000.00 (Fifty Million Naira), property of the Bayelsa State Government, through the account of one Enson Benmer Limited with Account No. 6152030001946, in First Bank, Plc, which sum you knew represented the proceeds of an illegal act with the aim of concealing the nature of the proceeds of the said illegal act and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 14(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition Act) 2004 and also punishable under section 14(1) of the same Act.”

Sylva denies EFCC’s claim over possession of property

But the former governor of Bayelsa state, Timipre Sylva, has denied the claims by the EFCC.

Mr. Sylva’s Media Advisor, Doifie Ola, in a statement, Thursday evening, denied that such an order was ever granted.

“Justice A.R. Mohammed never granted any temporary asset forfeiture order to the EFCC on 21 December 2012. Rather he directed EFCC to put Sylva on notice and the substantive matter is fixed for 10 January 2013,” Mr. Ola said.

Mr. Sylva’s media advisor described the claims by the EFCC as “completely misleading…and is in line with EFCC’s known bully-boy tactics and media hysteria”.

He added that Mr. Sylva’s assets are intact, and fully covered by the order validly issued by M.M. Kolo, judge of the Abuja High Court on December 27, 2012.

Mr. Ola said Mr. Sylva had applied to the court for “an interim order of court for the service of the originating process on the respondent to serve as a stay of all actions in respect of the properties – plot no 262, Cadastral Zone A02, Wuse 1, District, Abuja, plot 3192, located within Cadastral zone A06 Maitama District, Abuja, plot 232, Cadastral Zone A07,(No. 8 Mistrata Street; Wuse II, Abuja) – by the respondents, their agents, privies, representative or any other person deriving his/her authority from them; either by sealing off, confiscating, ejecting any person from the properties, trespassing into the properties or doing any other thing how ever so described relating to the said properties pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”

He said the application was granted and hearing in the matter is fixed for January 4.

One of Timipriye Sylva’s seized properties