Public affairs commentator and rights activist, Mahdi Shehu, has criticized the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for recently declaring former Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, a wanted person.
He characterized the action as contradictory, self-incriminating, and politically motivated.
In a post shared on his verified X handle on Tuesday, Shehu argued that the EFCC’s action reveals the commission’s double standards and selective approach to justice.
He added that the agency has consistently ignored more significant corruption cases involving powerful political figures and high-ranking government officials.
He recalled that the initial reports regarding Sylva’s case were inconsistent, first linking him to an alleged coup plot—an accusation he said was later denied, yet confirmed through multiple conflicting statements from different government sources.
According to Shehu, the narrative later shifted to an allegation that Sylva was implicated in a $14 million fraud, a claim he described as a weak disguise for a politically motivated pursuit.
Shehu stated, “Given the EFCC’s assertiveness and their desperation concerning the Sylva matter, it is evident that the $14 million is not the real reason for declaring him wanted.”
He continued: “They have overlooked investigations related to some currently serving ministers and lawmakers whose alleged theft amounts to trillions, making Timipre Sylva’s case seem trivial and even qualifying him as a ‘saint among thieves.'”
He accused the EFCC of exposing its flaws by focusing on minor cases while neglecting major corruption scandals.
He said, “The EFCC is exposing its failures by pursuing Timipre when they are still unable to prosecute all those Nigerians involved in the disgraceful Siemens multi-billion dollar bribery scandal, even after Siemens admitted guilt and was convicted abroad.”
Shehu also questioned why the anti-graft agency has failed to act on crucial findings from the Senator Ned Nwoko-led investigative committee on crude oil sales and the Senate Public Accounts Committee chaired by Senator Wadada, which reportedly queried the NNPCL over the whereabouts of N600 trillion from crude oil sales between 2017 and the present.
The activist further accused the Commission of disregarding revelations in Mr. Obaze’s report on the CBN multi-trillion naira fraud. He noted that while the former CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, is being selectively prosecuted, his alleged collaborators, both in and out of power, “are freely enjoying their illicit gains because they are the favored ‘big boys and big girls.'”
He warned that the EFCC’s continuous pattern of selective prosecution and political bias could ultimately lead to its dissolution.
He concluded: “The EFCC’s habit of ignoring high-profile crimes and pretending they don’t exist for political and other self-serving reasons will continue to be self-incriminating, which will one day compel a brave Nigerian leader to SCRAP the EFCC permanently, an event that will be celebrated as good riddance to darkness.”
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