Bayelsa Court Admits Tortured Confessions In Patience Jonathan Staff Jewellery Theft Trial After Six Years

By: Abudu Olalekan

It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Six long years. That’s how long the whole thing’s been dragging on. Now, in Bayelsa, a High Court has made a move. A big one, actually. They’ve decided to allow some statements into evidence. Statements from staff, people who used to work for Patience Jonathan, the former First Lady. This is about some jewellery, apparently worth a lot of money. Hundreds of millions, some say.

But here’s the kicker. These eight folks, they’ve been on trial since 2019. And they’ve been screaming bloody murder. Torture. That’s what they claim. They say those confessions they signed? They weren’t just said, they were beaten out of them.

Reportersroom got the inside scoop from someone close to the family. They said this decision came after a “trial within trial.” You know, like a mini-trial just to see if the statements were on the level. Seems like the court looked at it and said, “Yep, we’ll take ‘em.”

This same family person, they were pretty worked up. Said the prosecution finally wrapped up their bit. Six years! Think about that. Six years of back and forth. “Finally, they have closed their prosecution after six years,” they told Reportersroom. “We are in direct defence now.” Makes sense, I guess.

The most wild part, they said, was seeing those statements get admitted. The defendants, they showed things. They said the police got rough. Really rough. When they were locked up. Beatings. Torture. Some of those papers? The police themselves wrote ‘em back in 2019. And the staff? They were made to sign. Just sign. Even with all that noise about torture, the court just went ahead. Marked ‘em as exhibits. Like it was no big deal.

It feels like the prosecution took their sweet time. Wasted court time, that’s what the source suggested. Deliberately dragging their feet for half a decade. And then, poof. Friday comes, and they’re done. “Now, the defendants will open their cases too at the next adjourned date,” the family member said. The other side gets their turn. About time, right?

So, who are these people? Part of a bigger group, actually. Fifteen domestic staff were first accused. Stealing from Mrs. Jonathan’s place. The eight in this current scrape are named. Lots of names. Williams, Vincent, Ebuka, John, Tamunokuro, Emmanuel, Erema, Precious… it goes on. Tamunosiki, Salomi, Sunday, Boma, Vivian, Emeka. That’s a lot of folks to keep track of.

Originally, there were fifteen. But things change. One, Sahabi Liman, he passed away. That was back in 2025, I think. So, the number shrunk. Arrested in 2019, and since then, it’s just been this slow crawl. Adjournments galore. Things just stalling out.

Reportersroom did a deep dive back in July 2025. Showed how things had just ground to a halt. Court sessions skipped, no explanations given. Bad news for the defendants too. Many of them were stuck in Okaka Correctional Centre in Yenagoa for years. No bail. Just waiting.

In court, these defendants have told their stories. Over and over. About being grabbed, about the pain, about not being allowed a lawyer when they needed one most. Vivian Golden, she had a specific story. Said she was hung up, flogged even, just for not confessing. Others backed her up. They pointed fingers. An officer they called “O.C. Chris.” A Chief Security Officer named Colin Otutu. Sounded like they were central to this alleged rough stuff.

You’d think with such serious claims, and evidence to back it up, someone in the police would be looked into, right? Charged for the torture? Nope. Reportersroom found out nothing happened there. And Mrs. Jonathan herself? Never called in for questions about it. Her legal team, Ige Asemudara and Samuel Chinedu Maduba, well, defence folks say they’ve been experts at slowing things down. Lots of motions, procedural tricks. Stalling tactics, you might call ‘em.

This whole drawn-out affair has already had a cost. A real one. Remember Sahabi Liman who passed? Reportersroom reported it in September 2025. Died after being sick for ages. He was one of the ones arrested way back in ’19. Got bail three years before he died because he got really sick in the prison. His son told Reportersroom his dad just kept getting worse even after he got out. Died in a Port Harcourt hospital. A life lost in the shuffle of this jewellery drama. A long, hard road for everyone involved. Six years, and we’re still here.