Patience Jonathan’s Legal Team Accused Of Stalling Trial Of 15 Domestic Workers Held For Six Years Over Missing Jewellery

SaharaReporters has uncovered a consistent pattern of deliberate court delays allegedly orchestrated by the private legal team of Nigeria’s former First Lady, Patience Jonathan, in the prolonged prosecution of her former 15 domestic staff accused of stealing her jewellery.

The domestic workers who were arrested in 2019 have now spent nearly six years in custody at the Okaka Correctional Centre in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, without a conviction—despite numerous court appearances and repeated efforts to secure their release on bail.

“The prosecutors are Ige Asemudara and Samuel Chinedu Maduba,” one of the sources disclosed.

The source continued: “It's been the two of them since these years. One of them comes from Lagos while the second comes in from Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

“They're her private lawyers who have been defending her in some of her cases. The case has been ongoing since 2019, with multiple hearings held over the years. They've been the ones presenting witnesses who come to tell lies.

“They purposely delay the case with each witness. Sometimes, one witness takes two years. We were reliably informed she asked the prosecutor to delay the matter.”

One of the sources further described a troubling pattern of repeated excuses and delays from the prosecution team.

“Sometimes the prosecutor, Ige Asemudara, would claim he is sick. He makes excuses for his witnesses, either with sickness, work or that he couldn't reach them. The most common is suggesting and insisting on long dates while taking adjournments in court,” one of the sources said.

Efforts by the defence lawyers to push the case forward have reportedly been disregarded.

“Several times the defendants' lawyers would tell Ige to send his assistant if he won’t be available, but never. If Ige doesn’t come, you won’t see Maduba (Patience Jonathan’s lawyer) too.”

Painting a picture of intentional frustration, one of the sources said, “The aim is to frustrate the process and keep these innocent people in prison as long as possible, all on the instructions of ‘Madam’ (Patience Jonathan). It’s an abuse of the legal system.”

A source familiar with the courtroom proceedings recalled that the detained workers' bail applications were initially delayed at the judge's own request.

“When the case started in 2019, they all applied for bail,” the source said. “But the judge said their lawyers should hold on with the motion, that she would love to hear the prosecution give some evidence to ascertain if the capital charges were real.”

“Their lawyers were happy,” the source added, “because we are innocent and the case is clearly just about stealing. So Patience’s lawyers started presenting evidence without mentioning or being able to prove the capital charges they filed against the domestic workers.”

After this delay, the defence finally submitted their bail applications, only to encounter what seemed like an unexpected change in the court’s position.

“Everybody was shocked when the same judge who said she wanted to hear evidence to ascertain the actual nature of the case, during her ruling, denied the bail application,” the source said. “She claimed the offences are not bailable because the charges were capital.”

The names of the detained workers are 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.