Some former domestic workers of ex-First Lady, Patience Jonathan, who are being held in the Okaka Custodial Centre, Bayelsa State, have decried their maltreatment and delayed trial, saying they are undergoing hardship and torture.
Two of the workers, who spoke exclusively to Saturday PUNCH on Friday, begged for help, saying they were languishing in prison.
Our correspondents gathered that the workers had been in the custodial centre since 2019, as their trial faced constant delays due to repeated adjournments.
Those affected are Williams Alami, Vincent Olabiyi, Ebuka Cosmos, John Dashe, Tamunokuro Abaku, Emmanuel Aginwa, Erema Deborah, Precious Kingsley, Tamunosiki Achese, Sunday Reginald, Vivian Golden, Emeka Benson, Boma Oba, Salomi Wareboka, and Sahabi Lima.
The defendants were brought before the High Court of Bayelsa sitting in Yenagoa, the state capital, in 2019.
They were accused of stealing seven gold bangles and jewellery, five Samsung air conditioners, two sets of upholstery chairs, and six Samsung flat-screen televisions valued at N200m.
They were also slammed with 18 counts bordering on conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit felony to wit: armed robbery, conspiracy to commit felony to wit: burglary and stealing, among others.
A charge read, “Golden Vivian, Erama Deborah, Precious Kingsley, Vincent Olabiyi, Ebuka Cosmos, Wiliams Alami, Tamunokuro Abaku, Boma Oba, Emmanuel Aginwa, Emeka Benson, Tamunosiki Achese Fiberesima, Wariboko Salome, Sahabi Liman, Reginald Sunday, John Dashe and others now at large, sometime in June 2019 at Otuoke community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did conspire to kill Her Excellency Dame Patience Jonathan (former First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria) and thereby committed an offence.”
One of the defendants, who spoke to Saturday PUNCH from prison, lamented that they were being unlawfully detained.
The detainee noted that up till that moment, the police had yet to present any evidence against them.
“We have been in prison since 2019. We were domestic staff of the former first lady, Patience Jonathan. In 2019, there was a case of breaking into one of her apartments in Otuoke, and she decided to arrest all her workers.
“We were not even working in that apartment; since then, there is no evidence to prove to the court, and the case is not proceeding; she is still waiting for witnesses to come till today,” the worker said.
The detained worker appealed for help.
“Please, we need your intervention. We need help,” the detainee noted.
Another inmate alleged that they were being maltreated on the orders of the former first lady.
The inmate said, “These people want to kill us. In this prison, they are threatening us. Anything you can do for us to leave here, please do. When I was at the station, they tortured us and (threatened) they would take us to the back and beat and hang us.
“After they beat us, she would be on the phone listening to our voices and telling them it was not enough that they should bring us to her hotel and house. That is how we have been treated.”
Some of the parents and siblings of the defendants called on the Attorney General of the Federation, the National Human Rights Commission, and the Chief Judge of Bayelsa State to bring an end to the continued incarceration of their family members.
Speaking to Saturday PUNCH about the issue, the sister of one of the detainees (Tamunosiki), Gladys Achese, expressed anguish over the imprisonment of her sister.
Achese demanded the release of the 36-year-old, adding that each time she visited her sister, she couldn’t help but cry.
