The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Bayelsa State Command, has issued a firm rebuttal against social media reports alleging the unlawful detention of 15 domestic staff members of former President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan, at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Okaka.
ASC I G.T. Isari, Public Relations Officer of the Command, released a statement on Sunday dismissing the claims as “false and misleading,” explicitly refuting allegations that the individuals had been held without trial since 2019 for alleged theft and that a secret meeting had occurred between Dame Patience Jonathan and senior correctional officials in Bayelsa. “These statements are unfounded and are being spread to tarnish the image of the Nigerian Correctional Service,” the statement read.
Isari clarified that the individuals in question were “lawfully remanded in custody by High Court 1 of Bayelsa State and have been attending trial as scheduled.” He detailed their court appearances, noting, “They were present in court on March 10 and 11, 2025, and most recently on April 3, 2025, with the next hearing set for April 17, 2025.”
“The said inmates have been treated fairly and humanely while in custody, and their fundamental human rights are respected,” Isari added, emphasizing the adherence to legal procedures. He stressed that “no individual can be admitted into any custodial centre in Nigeria without a valid court-issued remand warrant,” confirming that all 15 individuals were admitted through due legal process.
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The NCoS also sought to reassure the public about the integrity of the Okaka facility. The statement affirmed that the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Okaka “remains one of the most peaceful facilities in the country” and urged the public to disregard the “fabricated” reports intended to cause “unnecessary tension.”
Concluding the statement, the NCoS reaffirmed its commitment to its mandate under the leadership of Acting Controller General of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche. “The Service… remains committed to the safe, humane, and lawful custody of inmates as well as their reformation and reintegration into society.”
© Ripples Nigeria
