According to the source, one of the defendants, Vivian Golden, testified that she was arrested on June 23, 2019, and transferred between several police stations before being taken to Operation Puff Adder, where she was subjected to inhumane treatment.
Fresh revelations have emerged in the ongoing trial of 15 domestic workers accused of stealing jewellery belonging to former First Lady, Patience Jonathan, as multiple defendants gave testimonies of police brutality and forced confessions during Friday’s hearing at the Bayelsa State High Court.
A source who witnessed the court proceedings told SaharaReporters in a telephone interview that several defendants recounted horrifying experiences of torture allegedly orchestrated by officers of the Nigerian Police under direct influence from Mrs Jonathan.
According to the source, one of the defendants, Vivian Golden, testified that she was arrested on June 23, 2019, and transferred between several police stations before being taken to Operation Puff Adder, where she was subjected to inhumane treatment.
“The first defendant, Golden Vivian, said she was arrested on the 23rd of June 2019 and was transferred to several police stations before finally being taken to Operation Puff Ada, where she experienced police brutality from O.C. Chris. She was hung and beaten seriously by the police officers just because they wanted her to admit to an offense she didn’t commit. They were paid by the complainant, Patience Jonathan, to do so,” the source told SaharaReporters.
Golden’s testimony was echoed by three other defendants, Vincent Olabiyi, Emmanuel Aginwa, and Tamunosiki, who also alleged they were tortured into signing pre-written statements.
“Vincent Olabiyi, Emmanuel Aginwa, and Tamunosiki also explained to the court how they were brutalized by O.C. Chris and his officers and forced to sign statements they didn’t write. They were hung upside down by the police officers, sustained machete wounds, and were threatened with indefinite detention by C.S.O. Colin’s Otutu,” the source added.
The case, which has spanned nearly six years without a single conviction, has sparked national outrage and international concern over Nigeria’s judicial inefficiency and human rights violations.
The accused, comprising both male and female domestic workers, have been detained at the Okaka Correctional Centre in Yenagoa since 2019.
As SaharaReporters previously reported, the trial was previously delayed by what sources described as deliberate stalling tactics by Mrs Jonathan’s legal team, including lawyers Ige Asemudara and Samuel Chinedu Maduba.
These delays included repeated excuses involving health issues, unavailable witnesses, and long adjournments.
The court has now scheduled June 6, 26, and 27 for continuation of the defence.
“The case was adjourned to the 6th, 26th, and 27th of June for the continuation of defence,” the source confirmed.
The Bayelsa State High Court had also ordered a fast-tracked trial following public outrage and SaharaReporters’ exposé on the injustice faced by the detained workers.
“The court proceeded well today, and both parties have agreed to finish the case as soon as possible, with an accelerated hearing. So victory is coming,” a source close to the defence told SaharaReporters.
The 15 accused persons are 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.
They were arrested in connection with missing jewellery allegedly owned by the former First Lady.
Since 2019, the case has been plagued by procedural delays reportedly masterminded by Mrs Jonathan’s private prosecutors, Ige Asemudara and Samuel Chinedu Maduba, lawyers frequently accused of dragging court proceedings through flimsy excuses and scheduling manipulations.
“One of them comes from Lagos while the second travels in from Port Harcourt. They’ve been handling this case from day one, presenting witnesses who come to tell lies. One witness took almost two years,” said a courtroom insider.
Sources further alleged that Patience Jonathan issued direct instructions to prolong the trial, aiming to punish the accused through indefinite detention rather than through legal conviction.
“The aim is to frustrate the process and keep these innocent people in prison as long as possible. It’s an abuse of the legal system,” one source said.
The legal obstruction, insiders claimed, included the use of health excuses, unavailable witnesses, and strategically timed adjournments.
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