The Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs to former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, Julius Bokoru, has dismissed reports linking his principal to an alleged coup plot, describing the claims as baseless and politically motivated.
In a statement on Wednesday, Bokoru said the rumours were the handiwork of desperate politicians seeking to advance their ambitions ahead of the 2027 elections. He accused the perpetrators of resorting to “mischief” because they view Sylva as a serious political threat.
“Those wicked politicians have taken their desperation to nauseating levels,” Bokoru said. “Chief Timipre Sylva’s political presence and credibility expose their self-serving ambitions and evil agenda.”
Bokoru reiterated that Sylva is a “thoroughbred democrat” who has consistently supported President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress. He recalled Sylva’s recent mobilisation of Bayelsa State APC structures to endorse President Tinubu at an expanded stakeholders meeting in the state.
Addressing the reported raid on Sylva’s Abuja residence, Bokoru confirmed that operatives believed to be from the Defence Headquarters searched the property and inflicted significant damage. He said neither Sylva nor his wife was at home during the operation.
“For the avoidance of doubt, it is true that the residence of His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva, was recently subjected to a raid by individuals believed to be operatives of the Defence Headquarters,” Bokoru said. “Considerable damage was inflicted on the property. Despite sustained efforts, I have been unable to ascertain the reason or the authorisation for this raid.”
Bokoru added that Sylva was in the United Kingdom for routine medical checks and planned to travel to Malaysia to attend a professional conference. He also denied reports that Sylva fled the country in connection with the alleged plot, calling such stories false and malicious.
He noted that the Defence Headquarters had publicly debunked rumours of a coup and insisted Sylva had no involvement in planning or logistics related to any such plot.
The statement underlined Sylva’s political record, dating back to the 1990s when he was first elected to the old Rivers State House of Assembly, and his subsequent tenure as governor of Bayelsa State, saying his achievements were products of democratic engagement.
In a separate development, the Department of State Services arrested one Innocent Chukwuma in Oyigbo, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Chukwuma, who uses the social media handle @TheAgroman, reportedly posted calls for the military to overthrow the government, urging a suspension of the Nigerian state and removal of the APC.
Chukwuma’s arrest follows heightened scrutiny of social media posts that allegedly sought to incite the military to take power.
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