More than six years after their arrest, former domestic staff of ex-First Lady Patience Jonathan are still languishing in Bayelsa’s Okaka Custodial Centre, with no end in sight to their prolonged trial, now adjourned over 40 times.
The detainees, including men and women, have decried severe maltreatment and judicial delay, saying they are enduring psychological and physical torture.
Two inmates who spoke exclusively to Saturday PUNCH pleaded for intervention.
“We have been in prison since 2019. We were domestic staff of the former first lady, Patience Jonathan. In 2019, there was a case of breaking into one of her apartments in Otuoke, and she decided to arrest all her workers.
We were not even working in that apartment; since then, there is no evidence to prove to the court, and the case is not proceeding; she is still waiting for witnesses to come till today,” one said.
“Please, we need your intervention. We need help,” the detainee noted.
Another inmate alleged abuse at the behest of the former first lady, saying, “These people want to kill us. In this prison, they are threatening us. Anything you can do for us to leave here, please do. When I was at the station, they tortured us and (threatened) they would take us to the back and beat and hang us. After they beat us, she would be on the phone listening to our voices and telling them it was not enough that they should bring us to her hotel and house. That is how we have been treated.”
The accused, first arraigned in 2019 at the High Court in Yenagoa, are facing 18 charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, armed robbery, burglary, and theft of items reportedly worth N200 million, including gold bangles, Samsung air conditioners, and furniture.
One of the charges reads, “Golden Vivian, Erama Deborah, Precious Kingsley, Vincent Olabiyi, Ebuka Cosmos, Wiliams Alami, Tamunokuro Abaku, Boma Oba, Emmanuel Aginwa, Emeka Benson, Tamunosiki Achese Fiberesima, Wariboko Salome, Sahabi Liman, Reginald Sunday, John Dashe and others now at large, sometime in June 2019 at Otuoke community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did conspire to kill Her Excellency Dame Patience Jonathan (former First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria) and thereby committed an offence.”
Family members of the detainees are also crying out for justice. Gladys Achese, sister of one defendant, said, “This is not a nice experience. It is usually traumatising whenever I visit my sister in prison. The day I went, I was just crying; she was the one consoling me.”
She added, “I am not saying my sister is guilty or not, but the court should do the right thing and give them fair hearing. They should also preside over the matter and give judgment. They have been delaying everything for six years now. We demand that the court be allowed to do its job. It is a bailable offence; they should grant them bail, and they will go to the court session from their locations.”
Steve Ibiene, brother of another detainee, echoed the plea:
“We only want them to do what is right. Let the court try them quickly, and if they are guilty, then sentence them to serve their punishment. They should not just be kept in prison without being tried.”
He added, “The first lady accused people of theft and took them to prison, not just to a cell. She has been the one frustrating the case because she is a powerful person. Every time they go to court, they say the prosecutor is not around.”
Similarly, Boma Hubert, whose brother worked in the ex-First Lady’s hotel, blamed her absence in court since 2019 for the prolonged detention. “The judge told us earlier this year that the case may be thrown out since the former first lady has never appeared in court, but nothing has been done to release them.”
Another parent, Offor Cosmos, said his son is suffering in prison and battling health issues: “My son is suffering. He has pile and it is disturbing him seriously. I want the government to help me because I do not know what is happening. The woman should leave my son.”
Human rights group Tech4Justice, which has tried to secure the defendants’ bail, accused the judiciary of bowing to political pressure. The organisation’s lawyer, Funmi Adedoyin, said the case has dragged due to several factors, including the frequent absence of police prosecutors and the elevation of the judge to Chief Judge of Bayelsa.
She said, “We have filed applications, made representations, and sought bail on many occasions. But the judiciary appears unwilling to proceed with the case. These young men and women have been forgotten in prison.”
Adedoyin further disclosed that the theft accusation was later escalated to attempted murder, likely to prevent the possibility of bail. “Everyone in the villa was arrested. The police know that stealing is a bailable offence. Because of that, they charged them with another offence entirely different from the alleged theft of the jewellery – conspiracy to kill Madam Patience Jonathan. This is another exposé on what happened.”
While three defendants have been granted bail on health grounds, the rest remain behind bars. Adedoyin revealed that one female detainee even lost her child while in custody and wasn’t allowed to attend the funeral.
With no verdict in sight, families and advocates are calling on the judiciary to either try the accused or release them on bail, insisting that justice delayed is justice denied.
