… Relatives, detainees cry out over 40 adjournments, allege torture, influence peddling
Some former domestic workers of ex-First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, have decried their prolonged detention and alleged inhumane treatment at the Okaka Custodial Centre in Bayelsa State, nearly six years after they were remanded over theft allegations.
The 15 detainees, including male and female staff, were arrested in 2019 for allegedly stealing items including gold bangles, jewellery, air conditioners, upholstery chairs, and flat-screen televisions reportedly worth N200m.
They were arraigned before the Bayelsa State High Court, Yenagoa, on an 18-count charge, including conspiracy to commit murder and armed robbery.
Despite the gravity of the charges, the accused have yet to be tried, as the case has suffered over 40 adjournments, sparking concerns about justice and abuse of power.
In separate interviews, two of the detainees lamented their prolonged incarceration, claiming the police had not presented any evidence against them and that they were being punished unjustly.
“We have been in prison since 2019 without trial. We didn’t work in the apartment where the theft happened. The police have no proof, and the court is still waiting for witnesses,” one of them said.
Another detainee alleged they were tortured on the instruction of the former First Lady.
“They threatened to hang us and took us to her hotel. She listened on the phone while they beat us and demanded we be brought to her,” the inmate claimed.
Relatives of the accused have also appealed to authorities, including the Attorney General of the Federation and the Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, to intervene.
Gladys Achese, sister to one of the detainees, Tamunosiki Achese, said the family had visited Patience Jonathan to plead for her sister’s release to no avail.
“She is 36 years old. Each time I visit her in prison, I cry. The delay is too much. They should be granted bail and tried properly,” she said.
Another relative, Steve Ibiene, whose brother William Alami is among the detainees, questioned the legality of the prolonged detention.
“If they are guilty, sentence them. But don’t keep people in prison for six years without trial. It’s unjust,” he said.
Also speaking, Boma Hubert, brother to Reginald Sunday, said his brother, who worked at the former First Lady’s hotel, was accused of stealing from the presidential villa in Abuja.
He alleged that Patience Jonathan had never appeared in court since the case began.
“She’s using her influence to frustrate the trial. The court now sits only once a month,” Hubert added.
The father of another detainee, Offor Cosmos, said his son’s health was deteriorating in custody. “He has pile and is suffering. I want the government to help. She should leave my son alone,” he said.
Meanwhile, IPatience Jonathan was reported to have recently held a closed-door meeting with top officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service in Bayelsa at her Aridolf Resort, reportedly in response to public criticism over the prolonged detention.
Sources said the meeting lasted several hours and involved prison authorities, including the Controller of Prisons in Bayelsa and the assistant controller of the Okaka facility.
The Nigerian Correctional Service has yet to issue an official statement on the meeting or address the condition of the detainees.
As the case drags on, families and civil society are demanding urgent judicial intervention to uphold the rights of the accused and ensure justice is served.
Sources :
Saharareporters
The Punch
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