Patience Jonathan locks up 15 domestic workers in prison since 2019 over missing jewelry

Diaspora Digital Media has sighted an exclusive report from SaharaReporters alleging that former First Lady Patience Jonathan has kept 15 domestic staff locked up in Bayelsa State’s Okaka Correctional Centre since 2019 over an unproven case of robbery.

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 jewelry, without first allowing a competent court of law to try them and sentence them.”

A relative of one of the detained domestic workers stated, “They are at Okaka Prison in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. They are 15 in number and have been in prison since 2019.”

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 offense 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.

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.

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook