THE Special Assistant on Media and Public Affairs to former Bayelsa State Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, Julius Bokoru, has raised alarm over what he describes as the unlawful and inhumane detention of four domestic and security aides linked to his principal.
In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria titled “Detention of Sylva’s Aides: A Call for Reason, Humanity and Due Process,” Bokoru condemned the continued incarceration of the individuals whose families, he said, have been left distressed and traumatised.
According to him, the first individual arrested, Mr. Paganengigha Anagha, has remained in custody for an extended period without clarity on the allegations against him. Others still being held include Musa Mohammed, Sylva’s personal driver; Police Officer Ayuba Reuben; and Mr. Friday Lusa Paul, an escort driver.
Bokoru described the situation as a grave injustice, stressing that the four men, mostly breadwinners—were “fathers, husbands, ordinary Nigerians” caught in a web of uncertainty, with no transparent explanation offered to their anxious families.
He revealed that despite formal communication between Chief Sylva and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), reaffirming the former governor’s readiness to honour an invitation once he stabilises from a life-threatening medical condition, the four men have continued to languish in detention.
“This persists even after Chief Sylva wrote to the EFCC, reaffirming his readiness to appear before the Commission on a mutually convenient date,” Bokoru noted, adding that the prolonged detention raises questions about due process and humanitarian considerations.
The media aide also referenced earlier attempts to link Sylva to a purported coup plot, allegations that were later dismissed by both the Federal Government and the military.
He argued that rather than de-escalate tensions, events have spiralled, culminating in public statements from the EFCC that he said contradicted previous engagements with Sylva’s legal team.
Bokoru further lamented that Sylva’s Maitama residence in Abuja has been under what he called a security “siege,” worsening the emotional toll on the household, including children and relatives confined indoors.
He called on relevant authorities, civil society groups, and the Nigerian public to demand fairness, transparency, and empathy, insisting that no Nigerian should suffer unjust detention over unclear or unproven allegations.
“Reason and humanity must prevail. These men deserve clarity, justice, and relief from the trauma to which they and their families have been subjected,” he said.
