Group Calls for Immediate Sack, Arrest and Prosecution of NDDC Boss Over Alleged Coup Links to Fugitive Timipre Sylva

The Democracy Vanguard, a prominent coalition of civil society organisations, transparency advocates, and concerned Niger Delta stakeholders has called for the immediate sack, arrest, and prosecution of Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Niger Delta Development Commission.

The group made this demand in direct response to the latest developments in the high-profile treason case, where the Department of State Services arraigned five associates of former Bayelsa State Governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, for allegedly concealing his whereabouts as a fugitive in the alleged 2025 coup plot against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

In a statement signed by Dr Paul Ononiwu, the group expressed concern over the continued presence of Dr. Ogbuku at the helm of the NDDC despite overwhelming evidence of his deep personal and political ties to Sylva.

“We cannot allow public resources meant for the development of the Niger Delta to be potentially compromised by individuals linked to plots that threaten our democracy,” the group said.

The coalition recalled that Dr. Ogbuku served as Chief of Staff to Timipre Sylva during his tenure as governor of Bayelsa State between 2007 and 2012, a role that established a longstanding alliance that has raised serious questions about conflicts of interest and accountability in the management of NDDC funds.

“We demand that Dr. Samuel Ogbuku step aside immediately to face a thorough and independent investigation into his alleged links to the coup plot and the diversion of NDDC resources,” the statement added.

“The people of the Niger Delta deserve leaders whose integrity is unquestionable, not individuals whose associations place the entire region under suspicion at a time when security agencies are prosecuting those involved in attempts to destabilise the country,” the Democracy Vanguard declared.

The group emphasised that reports, which tracked substantial NDDC funds running into tens of billions of naira—including specific shoreline contract payments—allegedly flowing through channels connected to Sylva and the broader conspiracy, cannot be ignored even as the main trial unfolds in court.

“President Bola Tinubu must act decisively by directing the relevant security and anti-corruption agencies to probe Dr. Ogbuku without further delay,” it stated.

“The NDDC was created to uplift the Niger Delta through infrastructure, youth empowerment, and environmental remediation, not to serve as a conduit for financing treasonable activities.

“Allowing him to remain in office while Sylva’s associates face charges for concealment sends a dangerous message of impunity.”

The Democracy Vanguard further noted that the proximity of Ogbuku to Sylva, combined with the financial trails uncovered in military and EFCC-assisted investigations involving key plot figures like Col. Mohammed Alhassan Ma’aji, demands full transparency through a forensic audit of NDDC transactions during Ogbuku’s tenure.

“We call on the National Assembly, the EFCC, ICPC, and all patriotic Nigerians to support this demand for justice,” the Democracy Vanguard declared.

“The ongoing trial of Sylva’s associates is a stark reminder that threats to our democracy must be confronted at every level, including those who may have provided financial or logistical support from influential positions in government agencies.

“Dr. Ogbuku must not be shielded from accountability simply because of his current role”.

The coalition warned that failure to act could erode public trust in interventionist agencies and undermine the Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in the oil-producing region that has suffered decades of neglect and exploitation.

“We urge traditional rulers, youth groups, and civil society across the Niger Delta to join us in this campaign for transparency and good governance.

“It is also being strongly alleged that Mr. Ogbuku has been boasting around that Mr. President is his God father and that he will never be sacked. The group is confident that Mr. President will never allow people who are alleged to be in bed with those who planned to violently overthrow his government. We therefore, strongly call on Mr. President to be wary of characters like Ogbuku and bring an end to his disastrous and self-serving administration at the NDDC”.

“Justice delayed is justice denied, and the people can no longer tolerate business as usual when national security is at stake”.