In a blatant violation of Nigeria’s constitutional provisions on the presumption of innocence, former First Lady Patience Jonathan has kept 15 of her domestic staff locked up in Bayelsa State’s Okaka Correctional Centre since 2019 over an unproven case of robbery.
SaharaReporters gathered that these workers have been rotting behind bars without a court conviction, as their trial has been repeatedly stalled on the orders of the influential former First Lady.
Sources familiar with the case raised the alarm, calling for urgent intervention to ensure justice for the detained workers.
“Since 2019, former First Lady Patience Jonathan has locked up about 16 of her domestic staff in Okaka Prison for allegedly stealing her jewellery, without first allowing a competent court of law to try them and sentence them.
“Some years ago, TECH4JUSTICE was able to provide legal services for them, which they have been doing ever since. But since the current Chief Judge came on board, she has been deliberately dragging the case on Patience Jonathan’s instructions. She is a stooge of the former First Lady,” one of the sources said.
Also, a relative of one of the detained domestic workers, speaking to SaharaReporters, stated, “They are at Okaka Prison in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. They are 15 in number and have been in prison since 2019. They were domestic workers for the former First Lady, Patience Jonathan.
“In 2019, there was a case of breaking and entering in one of her apartments in Otuoke, and she decided to arrest all her workers—even though they were not working in that apartment at the time.”
“Since then, there has been no evidence to prove the case in court, and the case is not proceeding. They keep saying they are waiting for witnesses to come forward until today,” the source said.
The names of the detained workers include Vincent Olabiyi, Ebuka Cosmos, John Dashe, Tamunokuro Abaku, Saabi Liman, Emmanuel Aginwa, Erema Deborah, Williams Alami, Precious Kingsley, Tamunosiki Waribobo, Salomi Reginald, Sunday Boma, Oba Golden, and Vivian.
“They are being charged with armed robbery, malicious damage, attempted murder, stealing, and so on. But there is no evidence! They are even going to court this morning (Thursday),” the source added.
The prolonged detention of these workers is a breach of Nigeria’s constitutional guarantee of the presumption of innocence.
Section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria explicitly states that every person accused of a criminal offence shall be presumed innocent until proven guilty. Furthermore, Section 35 guarantees the right to personal liberty and stipulates that no person shall be detained beyond a reasonable period without trial.
SaharaReporters has learned that the detained staff’s case has been deliberately stalled in court, allegedly under the influence of Patience Jonathan.
Patience Jonathan, the wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, served as the First Lady of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015 and as the Second Lady of Nigeria from 2007 to 2010.
© SaharaReporters
