The former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, is the subject of a criminal complaint lodged before the Chief Magistrate Court in Abuja by a former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Frank urged the Chief Magistrate of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to cause a direct criminal complaint to be issued against Sylva due to alleged inconsistencies in his name and uncertainty surrounding his participation in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program in the lawsuit filed by his attorney, Edward Omaga Esq.
The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East, Frank, asserted that the former minister’s true identity appears to be in question based on the documents in front of him.
Part of the lawsuit states, “Over the years, the complainant (Frank) has also demonstrated his tenacity in opposing and disclosing public corruption and keeping public officials accountable to their oath of office.
“The defendant (Sylva) on his side, just departed his job as Minister of State for Petroleum Resources somewhere around March 30, 2023, and previously served as the Executive Governor of Bayelsa state from 2008 to 2012.
“Facts and documents made available to the complainant show that there are major questions about the defendant’s true identity.
“Recently, the complainant attended the United States District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania while conducting a private inquiry, where Chief Timipre Sylva had filed a libel action against one Jackson Ude.
“During the hearing, Chief Timipre Sylva signed a verification of interrogatories replies dated April 1, 2022, and he also affixed a number of identification documents to the document.
“The aforementioned academic records include Anagha Timipere’s First School Leaving Certificate, bearing the number 092915 and dated July 1, 1976, when she graduated from Ajeromi Central School in Araromi-Apapa, Lagos State.
Additionally, the defendant asserts ownership of a West African Examination Council (WAEC) General Certificate of Education, awarded to Marlin Anagha Timipre in December 1981, with certificate number PO851528 and candidate number 21735215.
Additionally, the complaint learned that the former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources displays a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with Second Class (Upper Division) from the University of Port Harcourt, awarded on August 19, 1986.
The defendant also possesses an honoris causa doctorate in international relations from the UBIS University in Geneva, Switzerland, which was awarded to Chief Timipre Sylva on September 22, 2011.
“The certificates listed above show clear inconsistencies and do not accurately represent Chief Timipre Sylva’s identity. The identity of Chief Timipre Sylva is unclear.
In 1986, when he allegedly received his degree from the University of Port Harcourt, Chief Timipre Sylva changed his name from Anagha Timipre Marlin to Timipre Sylva, but there is no proof of this anywhere.
“The complainant’s investigation further shows that there is no record of the defendant having a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Discharge or Exemption Certificate, as the case may be, either in the name of Anagha Ti
There are numerous records in the public domain that show Chief Timipre Sylva knowingly submitted the aforementioned contradictory, inconsistent, or forged academic credentials to the Bayelsa State Gubernatorial Screening Committee in 2007 and to the Nigerian Senate and House of Representatives under oath in 2019 for the purpose of being considered for the positions of Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and Governor of Bayelsa State.
“Chief Timipre Sylva devised a Deed Poll and Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette dated May 11 and May 12, 2022, to conceal his alleged offenses in an effort to evade the long arms of the law.
“In the records, Sylva made a late attempt to persuade the public that the obviously incongruous names: Anagha Timipere, Marlin Absolutely Anagha Timipre Crown and Marlin.
The complaint thinks that Sylva procured the aforementioned Deed Poll and Official Gazette in order to mislead the public and avoid being looked into, charged with, and imprisoned for the claimed offense.
Like any sane Nigerian, the complainant is concerned about why the defendant waited till May 2022 to obtain the Deed Poll and Official Gazette.
“That the complainant is pleading for justice in this case, and that only the court’s action can quell the cry.
“That bringing the defendant to court to answer the allegation will be in the interests of justice.
In light of the aforementioned, the complainant humbly requests the Court to order the Nigerian Police Force to conduct an investigation .
