Stolen Jewellery Saga: NCoS Breaks Silence on Illegal Detention of Patience Jonathan’s Ex-Staff

• The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) in Bayelsa has described the reports of 15 former domestic workers of ex-First Lady Patience Jonathan being illegally in prison as false
• In a statement released on Sunday, April 6, the Okaka Custodial Centre spokesman, Isari Gbosi Tombara, emphasised that the reports were aimed at damaging the NCoS’s reputation
• Legit.ng reported that Legal advocacy group Tech4Justice claimed that the detainees had spent six years in custody without conviction due to prolonged judicial delays and interference

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

The Bayelsa state command of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has denied reports that 15 former domestic staff of ex-First Lady Patience Jonathan are being held illegally at the Okaka Custodial Centre.

In a statement issued on Sunday, April 6, the Okaka Custodial Centre spokesman, Isari Gbosi Tombara, described the reports as false and aimed at tarnishing the image of the service.

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Legit.ng earlier reported that fifteen former domestic workers of Patience Jonathan were said to have spent six years in Bayelsa prison without conviction.

Charged with theft and conspiracy to murder, the defendants were accused of stealing jewellery and luxury items worth hundreds of millions.

Despite over 40 court adjournments and the absence of key witnesses, calls for justice persist as Tech4Justice, a human rights organisation advocating for the detainees, gave an update.

Legal advocacy group Tech4Justice, frustrated by delays, said efforts to secure bail had been unsuccessful due to interference and judicial delays.

NCoS insists rights of ex-staff not infringed upon

Clarifying the development, NCoS spokesman Tombara noted that the inmates were legally remanded by competent courts and had not been denied their fundamental rights, The Punch reported.

The statement added:

“They were in court on the 10th and 11th of March 2025, and the last time they attended court was Thursday, 3rd April 2025, where the matter was adjourned to the 17th of April 2025. The said inmates have also been treated fairly and humanely while in custody, and their fundamental human rights are respected.”

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Speaking further, he also stressed that no inmate can be held without a valid remand warrant, noting that the Okaka facility remains one of the most peaceful in the country.

Recall that photos of the former first lady’s house staff who had been detained for years went viral, and it drew reactions from people, including a Nigerian actor and comedian, Mr Macaroni.

He lamented about the injustice in the country, noting that it was so painful.

90-yr-old mother begs Patience Jonathan

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that a 90-year-old woman has pleaded with former First Lady Patience Jonathan to release her daughter, Deborah Erema, who has been in custody for over five years.

Erema, a former aide to the ex-First Lady, was accused, alongside others, of stealing jewellery and household items reportedly worth N200 million.

The case has faced over 40 court adjournments since 2019, leaving the accused in prolonged detention without resolution.

Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng