A former domestic worker, who has been imprisoned since 2019 at the behest of former First Lady Patience Jonathan, has allegedly revealed details of the brutal torture she and others endured during their detention.
The shocking accounts, made public through a handwritten note reportedly obtained by SaharaReporters, describe the former First Lady’s direct involvement in the abuse.
The note, written by one of the detainees at the Okaka Correctional Centre in Bayelsa State, alleges that Patience Jonathan personally supervised and participated in the torture of domestic workers detained without trial since 2019.
The note outlines severe acts of violence inflicted on the workers, which allegedly included hanging, beating with whips, sticks, and machetes. According to the detainee’s account, Patience Jonathan was dissatisfied with the level of torture the police were carrying out and ordered them to increase the brutality.
“Severe torture, which included hanging, beating with whips, sticks, machetes… Patience Jonathan repeatedly insisted angrily that the police were not doing enough torture to her satisfaction, just as she instructed them to,” the note reads.
“This prompted her to make the police take us to her husband’s house at Nikton Road, Kpansia, Yenagoa, some midnights where she personally supervised our torture.”
The victim went on to describe an incident where Patience Jonathan actively participated in the abuse, using her high-heeled shoes to repeatedly assault them.
The note further alleges that ASP Collins Otutu, the chief security officer of Patience Jonathan’s husband, played a key role in supervising the torture. Otutu is said to have ensured that the police carried out the abuse as directed. The victim claimed that Otutu often arrived intoxicated, bringing alcohol for other officers before they proceeded with the torture.
“He always came over very drunk also, bringing along extra bottles of alcohol for OC Chris and his boys to drink before they proceeded with torturing us at midnight,” the note states.
This latest revelation adds a new layer of horror to the already controversial case involving 15 domestic workers who have been languishing in Okaka Correctional Centre for nearly six years without conviction. These workers have been detained since 2019 over an alleged robbery involving missing jewelry belonging to Patience Jonathan.
Despite the constitutional presumption of innocence, these detainees have been denied their freedom as their trial has been repeatedly delayed, allegedly on the instructions of the former First Lady.
According to SaharaReporters, sources familiar with the case have raised concerns about the prolonged detention of the workers.
“Since 2019, former First Lady Patience Jonathan has locked up about 16 of her domestic staff in Okaka Prison for allegedly stealing her jewellery, without first allowing a competent court of law to try them and sentence them,” said one source.
“Some years ago, TECH4JUSTICE was able to provide legal services for them, but since the current Chief Judge came on board, she has been deliberately dragging the case on Patience Jonathan’s instructions. She is a stooge of the former First Lady.”
A relative of one of the detained workers explained that the workers were arrested following an incident of breaking and entering in one of Patience Jonathan’s apartments in Otuoke in 2019. Despite the lack of evidence and no trial, the workers have remained in custody.
“Since then, there has been no evidence to prove the case in court, and the case is not proceeding. They keep saying they are waiting for witnesses to come forward until today,” the relative said.
The workers, who have been in prison for nearly six years, include: 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.