A Nigerian woman, Deborah Erema, has been unable to bury her daughter after being detained for over five years on the orders of former First Lady Patience Jonathan over missing jewellery.
Erema, who worked as a domestic worker in the Jonathan household, has been languishing in prison, together with 14 others, since 2019 after being accused of stealing jewellery belonging to Patience Jonathan.
The names of other detained workers are Williams Alami, Vincent Olabiyi, Ebuka Cosmos, John Dashe, Tamunokuro Abaku, Sahabi Lima, Emmanuel Aginwa, Precious Kingsley, Tamunosiki Achese, Salomi Wareboka, Sunday Reginald, Boma Oba, Vivian Golden and Emeka Benson.
Despite not being convicted, Deborah and the others remained behind bars, cut off from their families, while her daughter suffered in isolation until her tragic death.
A source close to the situation told SaharaReporters that the young woman, who had been struggling alone, eventually fell ill and died.
“Deborah Erema lost her daughter. She died after struggling alone all these years to fend for her mother, Erema Deborah, and her younger brother, Precious Kingsley, who is also here alongside his mother,” the source said.
“The sad part is that she was not allowed to leave to bury her daughter.”
The source added that another detainee, Tamunokuro Abaku, also lost his elder brother, who had been his only source of support.
“Tamunokuro Abaku also lost his elder brother, who was a backbone to his younger brother’s well-being,” the source said.
The source noted that Erema’s daughter had too much burden on her shoulders, taking care of herself, her siblings, and her incarcerated mother.
“Yes, because she had so much to care for. She was a single mother of about two or three kids. So adding the mum’s situation became too much for her. She took ill for a while and died later,” the source said.
Families Threatened, Denied Access
Relatives of the detainees say they have been prevented from visiting their loved ones in custody, further raising concerns over the legality of their continued detention.
“While they were at the station, they threatened our families from visiting them. And up until now, we are not allowed to visit them,” a family member told SaharaReporters.
Pregnant Sickle Cell Patient Chained to Hospital Bed
Another victim of what sources describe as “Patience Jonathan’s wickedness” is Salome, a woman with sickle cell disease who was arrested while she was four months pregnant.
“What about the four-month pregnant lady with sickle cell disease who was also arrested and made to go through her wickedness? Her name is Salome,” another source said.
When asked about Salome’s current condition, the source revealed that while she was eventually granted bail, it came with stringent conditions.
“No. She was granted bail with unbelievable bail conditions after giving birth while in detention and almost lost her life at the Federal Medical Centre with chains on her legs to the bed,” the source disclosed.
Even after regaining her freedom, Salome has never fully recovered from the trauma of her detention.
“No sir, she’s out there, but in and out of hospital admissions. She never had stable health after her delivery through this means,” the source added.
When contacted, Bayelsa State Police Command, ASP Musa Mohammed told SaharaReporters that he was not aware of the matter.
“I am just hearing about the case, but I promise you, I will look into it. I will definitely investigate and get back to you,” he told SaharaReporters during a telephone conversation on Friday morning.
© SaharaReporters
