The attention of the former Governor and Leader of the All Progressives Congress in Bayelsa State has been drawn to a video circulated by the online news platform Sahara Reporters, alleging that a thuggish attack on a traditional chiefs’ meeting in Bayelsa State was inspired by His Excellency Chief Timipre Marlin Sylva . Even those that are trying to connect this act to the former Governor knows that it is false. Nothing could be further from the truth. As a chief; former Governor of Bayelsa State and former Minister of State for Petroleum, Sylva has consistently eschewed violence in all its forms.
As Governor, Sylva played a pivotal role in the Presidential Amnesty Program, which successfully brought ex-militants out of the creeks and ushered in peace in the Niger Delta, thereby maintaining respectable oil revenue. His governorship remains the most peaceful in the state's history. It is perplexing, therefore, that Sahara Reporters would seek to portray Sylva as violent without any tangible evidence.
The video lacks open links to Sylva, who was in Abuja at the time, and the culprits have no known affiliations with him or his supporters. One wonders what investigative rigor Sahara Reporters employed to arrive at such a verdict. While Nigerian journalism has made significant strides, Sahara Reporters, owned by a serial presidential candidate, has unfortunately regressed. It has become a tool for targeting innocent Nigerians at the behest of anonymous parties.
Other reputable media houses in Nigeria would reject such a hatchet job, as evident in media algorithms. Sahara Reporters has devolved into a rogue outfit scavenging for scraps and clients with ulterior motives. This is a far cry from the standards of the Nigerian press. The Nigerian Union of Journalists should address this anomaly masquerading as a media unit.
Chief Sylva gives Sahara Reporters seven working days to offer a public apology, rephrase their post, or defend their position in court.
Chief Julius Bokoru
Special Assistant on Media And Public Affairs to H.E Chief Timipre Sylva
5 September 2025
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