The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, today arrested the former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva following his refusal to honor invitations to answer charges over allegations of fraud running into billions of Naira - N48 billion actually.
The offence is said to have been committed while he served as the governor of the state.
He was picked up at his No. 3, Niger Street, Maitama, Abuja home.
Vanguard learnt that the EFCC operatives stormed the mansion around 10.00 am and were told by Sylva’s security men that the man was not in town and that they should come back upon his return.
However, the operatives smelling a rat, decided to conduct a search on the house since they were already armed with a search warrant signed by the court.
Apart from discovering the embattled governor in one of the hideouts in the mansion, the search also led to the recovery of what the operatives described as ‘very vital documents’ that would assist in the his prosecution.
“Ironically, the ex-governor, who was said to be out of town, was later found hiding in a dingy corner in the upper chamber of his expansive mansion.
“He was immediately whisked away and is currently being interrogated at the Abuja headquarters of the anti- graft agency,” a source said.
The spokesman for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, confirmed the arrest of the former governor, who fell out with President Goodluck Jonathan over political differences in 2011.
He is being grilled in connection with fresh evidence linking him with a bouquet of fraudulent transactions that borders on money laundering. Part of the new evidence includes a number of eye-popping real estate acquisitions in Abuja.
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