SAHARA REPORTERS
A Bayelsa court has intervened in a long-standing legal impasse, ordering a swift trial for 15 domestic workers held since 2019 over missing jewellery allegedly owned by Mrs. Patience Jonathan.
After nearly six years in pre-trial detention, the Bayelsa State High Court has ordered a fast-tracked trial for 15 accused persons, most of whom were part of former First Lady Patience Jonathan’s domestic staff.
The individuals were arrested in 2019 in connection with the disappearance of high-value jewellery allegedly belonging to Mrs. Jonathan. Since then, they have remained at the Okaka Correctional Centre in Yenagoa without conviction or access to bail.
“The accused have been in custody for almost six years without a fair trial. This is an affront to justice and human rights,” a human rights lawyer familiar with the case said.