How Timipre Sylva Got Tied Up in Coup Allegations

New information has come out about Timipre Sylva, a former governor and member of the All Progressive Congress (APC). He is linked to an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu's government last year. PREMIUM TIMES has looked into secret details that investigators know but may not reveal to the public.

Earlier reports and court charges against supposed co-conspirators pointed to Mr Sylva as a key backer of the failed coup. But how he connected with those behind the coup and why he allegedly got involved in this dangerous plan was not clear until now.

PREMIUM TIMES has uncovered important clues from over 7,400 pages of documents that investigators gathered for the prosecution of suspects involved in the failed conspiracy. These documents contain statements from several suspects, secret conversations, and other evidence put together by investigators.

Many suspects, including active and retired military personnel and civilians connected to the alleged plot, are on trial at the General Court Martial and the Federal High Court in Abuja. Mr Sylva's name appears in some of the charges. But he, believed to be outside the country, has not been arrested or formally charged. Meanwhile, five of his former aides are facing charges in Abuja for allegedly hiding information about where he is.

Mr Sylva is said to be part of the financial network that allegedly funded the failed coup. PREMIUM TIMES reported in February that he allegedly contributed the highest amount of N785 million to the coup. Investigators say he sent the money through Purple Waves Limited, a construction company based in Abuja. The funds moved through a bureau de change operator before reaching those involved. John Ebokpo, the secretary of Purple Waves Limited, has been questioned by security agents, according to this newspaper.

New findings provide details about Mr Sylva's alleged financial transfers, which significantly influenced the failed coup until it was disrupted in September last year. The suspected coup leader, Mohammed Ma’aji, a colonel in the Nigerian Army, explained in his handwritten statements how Mr Sylva's involvement became a key moment for the struggling conspiracy.

Mr Ma’aji said his relationship with Mr Sylva goes back to when he was a captain in the Nigerian Army. He did not give a specific date for when they first met. Since then, he has been promoted three times. He would have reached the rank of brigadier general in 2023 if he had passed the promotion exam. He failed it again in 2024. He cited career stagnation as part of his motivation for the coup.

Their paths likely crossed during Mr Ma’aji’s deployment to the oil-rich Niger Delta. PREMIUM TIMES has previously reported that Mr Ma’aji gained much of his operational experience in that region, which is crucial to his professional and political connections.

In 2017, he took part in Operation Crocodile Smile II, a significant military exercise aimed at tackling militancy, oil theft, and insecurity in the Niger Delta and parts of the Southwest. Military operations like this often link the oil industry, politics, and security, making it easier for community members and political figures to meet.

Mr Sylva, who held public office from 1992 to 2023, ran for elections and reached high positions, becoming an oil minister and governor along the way. His social and political circles likely expanded to include trusted security figures like Mr Ma’aji, who have worked in Bayelsa State or the Niger Delta.

At just 28 in 1992, Mr Sylva began his political career by winning a seat in the Rivers State House of Assembly. He served as a special assistant to the minister of state for petroleum resources from 2004 to 2007. He became the governor of Bayelsa State in 2008 and served until 2012. His last public office was as the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources during the Buhari administration from 2019 to 2023.

Over the years, both Mr Sylva and Mr Ma’aji likely became part of each other's networks. Although Mr Ma’aji has wanted to carry out a coup since at least 2023, it did not come up in his talks with Mr Sylva.

While trying to gather funds, he mentioned feeling pressure from people he called “all these boys” and “members,” likely referring to his main allies. Finally, he decided “just recently” to approach Mr Sylva, seeking his support as a member of the ruling APC.

This was probably some weeks before Mr Sylva allegedly started giving money in 2025. He asked Mr Sylva for financial help after explaining how the group had difficulty raising funds for their plan.

“In terms of logistics support, also recently after much pressure from some members, I had to approach Chief Timipire Sylva for financial support,” Mr Ma’aji said.

But initially, Mr Sylva was not interested. He told Mr Ma’aji, “Col., please I don’t want to hear about this.” In another part of his statements, Mr Ma’aji noted that Mr Sylva said he did not want to be involved in military matters.

But things changed later. Mr Ma’aji said that weeks after their first talk, Mr Sylva called him to ask for more details and wanted to know the chances of success. He also asked if they had gotten any financial support, to which Mr Ma’aji replied no.

At this point, Mr Sylva's initial reluctance seemed to fade. Mr Ma’aji stated that Mr Sylva said he had thought about Nigeria's situation deeply. He believed that military intervention could be the answer to save the country from its troubles.

Mr Ma’aji recounted that during their conversation, Mr Sylva admitted that politicians had failed the people. The colonel said Mr Sylva “confessed that they, the politicians, have failed and that he doubts if the present crop of politicians have patriotic zeal to fix the country.”

Mr Sylva's lack of hope for Nigeria influenced some of his family decisions. “He [Mr Sylva] said he sent all his children abroad because of the unfavourable conditions of Nigeria as a country,” the colonel stated.

While agreeing to back the alleged coup, Mr Sylva wanted to stay disconnected from it. “During the conversations he agreed to support us with some funds but did not name any amount. He now asked how we are going to receive the money and I told him anyhow he wanted it. He then said he would not want to send money to my personal account because he doesn’t want anything traced to him,” Mr Ma’aji said.

The military officer suggested using a bureau de change operator to get the money, which Mr Sylva accepted. “That was when I told him about Alhaji Aminu, my friend who is a Bureau De Change operator and he was okay with that. That was when I went ahead to ask Alhaji Aminu of his company’s account. But he was not aware of the source and purpose of the money. I just told him I am expecting some funds.

“A few days later, Alhaji Aminu told me he has started receiving alerts and that was how I started disbursing the funds as they come for different purposes which I cannot mention now. As at the time I was arrested, Alhaji Aminu told me he has received a lot of over N400 million.”

Investigators believe that about N785 million, the largest amount linked to the coup, was traced to Mr Sylva. More information about the funds will come in the next parts of this reporting series on the alleged coup.

In his first and only statement regarding the coup claims in October last year, Mr Sylva denied being involved. His spokesperson, Julius Bokoru, called the allegations false. However, the statement confirmed that “individuals believed to be operatives of the Defence Headquarters” raided Mr Sylva’s house.

It described Mr Sylva as “a thoroughbred democrat, whose entire political journey has been defined by his faith in democratic processes and institutions.” The statement framed the coup allegations as rumors, affirming Mr Sylva’s loyalty to President Tinubu.

“His unwavering support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a matter of public record. It remains fresh in memory how he mobilised the entire Bayelsa APC structure to unanimously endorse President Tinubu at the APC Bayelsa Expanded Stakeholders’ Meeting,” the statement said.

“These rumors are nothing more than the handiwork of desperate and narcissistic 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.”

While Mr Sylva stays outside Nigeria, the government is keeping an eye on him. Besides prosecuting five associates for hiding information about him, the government has also started forfeiture proceedings against assets linked to him. In May, they obtained an interim forfeiture order against nine of those assets.