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The Nigerian Bar Association has entered the ongoing case concerning 15 previous household employees of the former first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, who have been detained for six years now due to allegations of stealing jewelry and other items.

A high-ranking member of the organization, who addressed
Sunday PUNCH
On Saturday, the NBA mentioned they were also interacting with Mrs. Jonathan to address the issue.

Our reporters noted that 15 staff members who previously worked with the ex-first lady were detained at the Okaka Custodial Centre in Bayelsa State. They were accused of allegedly taking jewelry belonging to Mrs. Jonathan.

The individuals impacted include 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 accused appeared before the High Court of Bayelsa in 2019.

They faced accusations for allegedly taking seven gold bracelets along with jewelry, five Samsung air conditioners, two sets of upholstered chairs, and six Samsung flat-screen TVs worth an estimated ₦200 million.

They faced an additional 18 charges ranging from conspiracy to commit murder to conspiracies involving felonies such as armed robbery, burglary, and theft, along with several other offenses.

An anonymous high-ranking official from the NBA revealed, speaking under conditions of confidentiality due to the legal proceedings, that attempts were being made to address the issue at hand.

According to the information provided, the organization has initiated interactions with important parties involved, such as legal advisors, the government of Bayelsa State, and the previous first lady.

“We have contacted the previous first lady. We have also been in touch with several legal representatives. Additionally, we have communicated with the Bayelsa State Attorney General to investigate this issue, and discussed with the former first lady’s attorney the potential for resolving matters amicably as they continue to attract undue notice,” he said.

He emphasised that the NBA was committed to ensuring that the case was resolved as quickly as possible and that the rights of all parties were protected.

“We will keep communicating with all involved parties. The Attorney General has assured us that he will investigate the issue and provide an update. Additionally, we have consulted the chairperson of the NBA in Yenagoa, who informed us about the measures being implemented to guarantee that everything necessary gets accomplished,” the source stated further.

He observed that several elements were responsible for the sluggish progress of the case, such as a defendant having a baby and the defense attorneys’ steadfast demand for a nested trial process.

“There are numerous defendants represented by various attorneys, leading to multiple lawyers having to conduct cross-examinations, thus causing delays. Additionally, at one stage, one of the defendants gave birth, further impacting the pace of the proceedings,” he explained.

While acknowledging the sensitive nature of the matter, the official urged the judiciary to offer clarity to the public on the status of the matter.

“I believe the court should release its own statement to clarify what is going on,” he further stated.

Prison head warns detainees

Meanwhile, a source told
Sunday PUNCH
the custodian in charge of the Bayelsa Correctional Center cautioned the prisoners not to share details with the general public.

The source stated, “Earlier today, the warden of the Okaka Custodial Centre contacted them informing that whoever is responsible for sharing information about their detainment on the internet should be urged to cease doing so. The official mentioned that continuing this could further complicate their situation.”

He said that it was published online claiming he (the controller) and some individuals had a meeting with Patience Jonathan. However, he clarified that he doesn’t know her as she is the former first lady and they have never crossed paths. Additionally, he pointed out that they unjustly accused him of subjecting them to torture. He then questioned them about whether he had ever tormented any of those people.

Additionally, one of the accused denied the assertion that a detainee who was expecting a child was responsible for holding up the proceedings.

The prisoner stated that Wariboko Salomi, who has sickle cell disease and is pregnant, was released on bail because of her condition.

The source commented, “A family member of hers (the ex-first lady), who was also present at the police station with us, was let go as he served as a witness in one of her cases. Some officers assigned to guard the residence were even arrested. However, subsequently, the CSO, Colin Otutu, mentioned that these individuals were actually tasked with providing security within the premises. Consequently, he ordered their release.”

Husband divorces detainee

In an interview with
Sunday PUNCH
Gladys Achese, whose brother is among the detainees named Tamunosiki, disclosed that her sibling’s spouse ended their marriage following several years behind bars.

She mentioned, “Following their wedding in February 2018, my sister planned to resign from her position; however, her spouse requested that she stay employed until October, arguing that as newlyweds, her income would assist with covering their costs. Consequently, she kept working. By the time October arrived and she intended to leave, he pleaded for her to extend her employment until December, citing the nearing end of the year as his reason. This nearly led to conflicts between them.”

When December arrived, she ceased working intensively because he was displeased that she had resigned. Until her detention, they continued to reside together. Following her arrest, neither him nor his relatives have contacted our parents or come over to ask after my sister at home. He refrained from visiting her in jail. Instead, he accompanied his mother solely to meet the ex-first lady, who then requested that my sister be brought to her place. In 2022, he dispatched divorce documents to my sister while she was incarcerated, thereby concluding their union.

Provided by Syndigate Media Inc. (
Syndigate.info
).