NBA Explains Delay in Trial of 13 Domestic Staff of Patience Jonathan

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Yenagoa Branch, has explained the prolonged delay in the trial of 13 domestic staff of former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, who have been incarcerated at the Okaka Correctional Centre in Yenagoa since 2019.

Naijaonpoint reports that the NBA cited procedural challenges involving the large number of lawyers representing the defendants as the primary cause of the delay.

According to the NBA, the nature of the case, which involves capital punishment, necessitates the presence of all the lawyers for the case to proceed.

The Chairman of the NBA Yenagoa Branch, Somina Johnbull, clarified that the delay was due to the consistent absence of one or more of the counsels on several occasions.

“With regard to the case you spoke about, I want to say that the NBA investigated the case. We spoke with all the lawyers and the fault isn’t from the court,” Johnbull explained.

Johnbull further noted that all 13 defendants were represented by different counsels, which made it difficult to proceed with the case whenever one of the lawyers failed to appear.

“Any day that any of the lawyers don’t come (to court), the case cannot proceed,” he said, adding that there has never been a time when the court was not ready to hear the matter.

The NBA Chairman expressed his surprise at the length of time the case has been delayed, noting that such matters rarely drag on for more than a few years in Bayelsa State, especially with the provision of modern facilities like the e-recording system.

“In Bayelsa, without sounding immodest, it is very strange for any matter to last beyond three, four years because of the facilities that have been provided,” Johnbull remarked.

He also revealed that during the last court session in April, the court volunteered to recuse itself due to the sensationalization of the case.

However, all the defendants insisted on continuing the trial, expressing their confidence in the court. “All the defendants appealed that they still wanted the matter to proceed and that they have confidence in the court,” Johnbull added.

Johnbull made these remarks while briefing journalists on the upcoming activities for the NBA Yenagoa Branch’s annual law week.

The branch’s Law Week will feature former Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo as the keynote speaker on Friday, May 16, 2025. Osinbajo is expected to deliver a speech on the theme: “Setting the Pace: Law, Leadership and Transformational Development.”

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Law Week Planning Committee, Mr. Iniruo Wills, explained that the theme of this year’s event was carefully chosen to address crucial issues in governance, the rule of law, and access to justice.

“The areas we are focusing on in this year’s event have to do with the role of the rule of law in the overall governance of the peace and stability of our society and also in terms of the immediate access to justice,” Wills stated.

Wills emphasised that the event would also focus on revolutionising access to justice, with particular attention given to stakeholders’ satisfaction and promoting good governance.

“The role of the law in the courtroom and beyond that is revolutionising access to justice, and in doing that,t we have in mind our stakeholders, that is the public. So stakeholder satisfaction is at the back of our mind in trying to x-ray good governance, leadership, and development,” he added.