Over 3-years after, EFCC Returns Seized 48 Houses To Timipre Sylva

• Group dismisses claim as False.

About 48 houses belonging to the former Bayelsa state governor, Timipre Sylva which was seized by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been returned to him. 

The former governor’s houses were seized in January 2013 during the administration of former president, Goodluck Jonathan while Sylvia was 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. 

Some of the assets belonging to the former governor include a mansion at 3 River Niger Street, plot 3192 Cadastral zone AO, Maitama District Abuja; nine units (comprising six one bedroom and 3 two bedroom apartments) at 8 Sefadu Street Wuse zone 2, plot 262 Cadastral zone AO2, Wuse Abuja; and 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; 5 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 3 units of three- bedroom flats at No. 1 Mubi Close, Plot 766. Cadastral Zone A01, Garki, Abuja. 

Sylva was first arraigned on Tuesday June 5, 2012.

Meanwhile a group known as Patriots of Ijaw Nation (PIN) has described the publication as a despicable report.

In a statement signed on behalf of the group's publicity secretary, Mr. Kesiye Newman, he dismissed the report and attributed it to the handiwork of political jobbers and detractors, the statement reads:

“Our attention has been drawn to a blitz of new media reports alleging that the EFCC has returned 48 houses it seized from former Bayelsa State governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. This is false, misleading and irresponsible. We recall that when this story first made the rounds in early October 2016, Sylva refuted it.

" He pointed out that he owns three houses, not 48, in Abuja. All three, he acquired before he became Bayelsa State governor. “In his 2016 refutation, Sylva said: ‘EFCC had taken their allegations of property ownership against Sylva to several courts without establishing anything against the former governor during the Jonathan era. Beyond the commission’s routine media prosecution, no court of law has found Sylva guilty of any crime. Indeed, in the course of the trials at the Federal High Court, Abuja, owners of some of the properties wrongfully attributed to him joined to claim their houses. The court ruled on the matter of the said 48 properties since 2013.

" Why is it now a subject of media attention? Clearly, this is a sponsored publication.’ “As in 2016, so it is now.

" Political jobbers and detractors are still at work. “As far as we know, this latest attempt to malign Sylva started on September 1, 2017, when Senator Shehu Sani posted a Vanguard newspaper report of October 3, 2016 titled ‘EFCC RETURNS SEIZED 48 HOUSES TO TIMIPRE SYLVA’ on his Facebook page. We are at a loss as to why the Distinguished Senator would repost a stale, false report. We do not know whom he is working with or for. What we know is that sections of the new media picked up Senator Sani’s post, and are feasting on this irresponsible report. This is junk journalism at its vilest.

“This crude attempt to smear Sylva has never succeeded; it will never succeed, as Nigerians, indeed civilised humanity, have since gotten wise to the sponsored shenanigans. The political jobbers and their media cohorts must now make the fateful choice to devote their time and talent to getting a life, instead of wasting their effort on a wild goose chase.”, Kesiye Said.

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