Timipre Sylva’s Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs, Julius Bokoru, has condemned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) sealing of his principal’s Maitama home in Abuja.

Bokoru, in a statement titled, ‘A grave breach of decency: EFCC’s attempted raid and defacement of Sylva’s family home’, said the action was undertaken “without a single letter, without a subpoena, without a warrant, without notification, and without even the most basic adherence to lawful process.” 

He added: “No courtesy, procedure and humanity. It is a behaviour unbecoming of any institution that claims to act in the national interest. What unfolded today at the Maitama residence of Timipre Sylva was nothing short of an affront to decency and a troubling assault on the very principles that underpin a civilised society. 

“The action of Officers of EFCC was an aggressive intrusion into his home, and they proceeded to spray-paint his walls in stark red, emblazoning the words ‘EFCC — Keep Off’ as though marking the property of a fugitive rather than the home of a respected statesman.

“What deepens the wound is that this is not merely a property; it is the home in which Chief Sylva’s children, relatives, and staff have been effectively encircled for weeks. ”

“It is the last space available to them, especially now that it appears they are not permitted to leave the country freely. To violate such a place without warning and without justification is to inflict terror upon innocent people who have no connection whatsoever to political gamesmanship.

“Where, one must ask, are his children expected to go? How long must they endure this atmosphere of fear and uncertainty?”

Bokoru lamented that the action, which he described as arbitrary and vindictive, was a violation of democratic principles and values, insisting that it was not how an institution, established to uphold justice, should behave.

He, however, noted that they are convinced that President Bola Tinubu is not involved in the excesses. He added: “Throughout his long and distinguished public life, the President has shown unwavering respect for due process, fairness, and institutional integrity. 

“This latest incident bears all the hallmarks of local political rivalry being misinterpreted, or mischievously presented as federal instruction. It is a dangerous muddling of partisan ambition with national authority.”