The Bayelsa State High Court has directed an expedited trial for 15 domestic workers who have spent nearly six years in detention at the Okaka Correctional Centre, Yenagoa, without conviction over missing jewellery allegedly linked to former First Lady, Patience Jonathan.
The move follows a rare consensus between the prosecution and defence teams during Thursday’s hearing to fast-track a case long plagued by delays.
“The court proceeded well today, and both parties have agreed to finish the case as soon as possible, with an accelerated hearing. So victory is coming,” a source close to the defence told SaharaReporters.
Arrested in 2019, the accused—mostly former members of Mrs Jonathan’s household staff—have remained behind bars without bail. The case has dragged on for years amid allegations that the delays were deliberately orchestrated by the former First Lady’s private legal team.
A previous investigation revealed that private prosecutors Ige Asemudara and Samuel Chinedu Maduba, representing Mrs Jonathan, had repeatedly used stalling tactics such as presenting witnesses with inconsistent testimonies and requesting extended adjournments.
“One of them comes from Lagos while the second travels in from Port Harcourt. They’ve been handling this case from day one, presenting witnesses who come to tell lies. One witness took almost two years,” said a source familiar with the case.
Another insider claimed the delays were intentional. “The aim is to frustrate the process and keep these innocent people in prison as long as possible. It’s an abuse of the legal system,” the source added.
Tactics allegedly included citing illnesses, unavailable witnesses, and procedural excuses. “Sometimes, Ige Asemudara would claim he is sick or his witness has work. Other times, he just asks for long adjournments,” another person involved in the case stated.
A source disclosed that the presiding judge initially postponed hearing bail applications to “first listen to the prosecution’s evidence,” only to later deny bail entirely on the grounds that the charges were capital in nature.
“When the case started in 2019, they all applied for bail,” the source said. “But the judge told their lawyers to wait so she could hear some evidence. After that, she shockingly denied bail, saying the offences were capital and therefore not bailable.”
In response to the allegations, the Bayelsa State High Court denied involvement in the delays and reaffirmed its commitment to speedy justice. The court maintained that available records show delays were due to the presence of multiple defence lawyers needing to cross-examine witnesses and several adjournments at counsels’ requests.
The 15 detainees—Williams Alami, Vincent Olabiyi, Ebuka Cosmos, John Dashe, Tamunokuro Abaku, Sahabi Lima, Emmanuel Aginwa, Erema Deborah, Precious Kingsley, Tamunosiki Achese, Salomi Wareboka, Sunday Reginald, Boma Oba, Vivian Golden, and Emeka Benson—remain incarcerated without trial or conviction.
