The long-running trial of 15 domestic workers of former Nigerian First Lady, Patience Jonathan, suffered yet another setback on Friday after the Bayelsa State High Court in Yenagoa adjourned its much-anticipated ruling.
The court cited the death of one of the defendants as the reason for the postponement of its ruling.
The ruling, earlier scheduled for September 24, was expected to determine the admissibility of confessional statements allegedly obtained through torture by the police.
The decision is critical to the fate of the workers, who have been standing trial for over five years on allegations of stealing Mrs. Jonathan’s jewellery reportedly worth hundreds of millions of naira.
A source from Mrs. Jonathan’s legal team who witnessed Friday’s proceedings told SaharaReporters that the court refused to proceed with the ruling following the death of one of the defendants, identified as Sahabi Liman.
“The court refused to deliver its ruling of trial-within-trial to determine the validity of the confessional statements of the defendants which they claimed were obtained through torture,” the source said.
“The court did not give the ruling because of the death of one of the defendants which SaharaReporters exposed a few days ago. They need to present his death certificate to the court in order to strike him out and amend the charges before the case can proceed.”
The source further revealed that the adjournment was compounded by the failure of two defence lawyers, Barr. Ogidibe Imoni and Barr. Chinedu Ezanna, to file their written addresses for adoption. The case has now been shifted to October 20 for adoption and ruling.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that Sahabi Liman, one of Mrs. Jonathan’s workers, died last week in Port Harcourt after a prolonged illness that worsened during his detention at the Okaka Correctional Centre, Yenagoa. Liman, who was about 45 years old, had been granted bail three years ago to seek medical treatment but never fully recovered.
His family confirmed that he died after being readmitted to the hospital. They attributed his illness to the harsh conditions he endured in prison, where he was initially denied bail.
The 15 domestic workers, arrested in 2019, have consistently maintained their innocence, insisting that the theft allegations were fabricated.
They accused police operatives and Mrs. Jonathan’s security aides of subjecting them to brutal torture to extract forced confessions.
During previous hearings, defendants recounted harrowing ordeals, including being suspended, flogged until unconscious, and threatened with death. Names of police officers, including one identified as O.C. Chris, and Mrs. Jonathan’s Chief Security Officer, Colin Otutu, were mentioned as direct participants in the torture.
Despite these allegations, no police officer has been investigated or sanctioned.
The case has dragged on for more than five years, with repeated adjournments, procedural delays, and accusations of deliberate stalling tactics by Mrs. Jonathan’s legal team, led by Ige Asemudara and Samuel Chinedu Maduba.
The High Court’s ruling on the admissibility of the confessions is seen as a turning point, it could either strengthen the prosecution’s case or collapse it entirely.
But with Liman’s death and further delays, justice for the surviving defendants remains uncertain.
Meanwhile, the remaining 14 workers remain incarcerated at Okaka Correctional Centre, still awaiting a decision that could change the course of their lives.
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