Human rights activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has demanded accountability and justice in the prolonged detention of 15 domestic workers allegedly linked to missing jewellery worth N750 million belonging to former First Lady Patience Jonathan.
In a strong reaction posted on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account, Sowore questioned the legality and morality of detaining the workers since 2019 without trial, while also raising concerns about the source of funds used by the former First Lady to purchase such expensive jewellery.
“Former Nigerian First Lady Patience Jonathan has detained 15 domestic staff members for over six years while awaiting trial for allegedly stealing N750m worth of jewelry from her. Where did she get the funds to purchase jewelry valued at N750 million?” Sowore asked.
Hobnob News had earlier revealed that the 15 staff members have been held at Okaka Correctional Centre in Bayelsa State for nearly six years, without a court conviction, in connection to a 2019 robbery allegation at one of Patience Jonathan’s residences in Otuoke. Despite not all the workers being stationed at the location of the alleged crime, they were reportedly all rounded up and imprisoned under the former First Lady’s directive.
In his post, Sowore criticized what he described as a culture of impunity, where powerful individuals accused of looting public funds have the audacity to prosecute others for allegedly stealing from them.
“Nigeria appears to be the only country where alleged public treasury looters have the audacity to arrest others accused of stealing a portion of the funds they themselves looted from the public treasury,” he said.
He vowed to take up the case of the detained workers, calling their prolonged imprisonment an outright abuse of the Nigerian Constitution’s presumption of innocence and right to personal liberty.
“We must do everything to get them released from unjustified prosecution. Patience Jonathan should be the one in prison,” Sowore declared.
Sources close to the case told Hobnob News that the former First Lady has been using her influence to stall the trial, ensuring the continued incarceration of the accused. In one of several exclusive reports, a relative of one of the detainees revealed that the worker was not only uninvolved in the alleged theft but was also denied the right to attend her own daughter’s burial.
Legal experts and rights groups have condemned the situation as a blatant violation of Section 36(5) and Section 35 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, which guarantees presumption of innocence and the right to personal liberty.
The growing outrage has intensified calls for an urgent review of the case and immediate release of the detained workers. Patience Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s First Lady between 2010 and 2015, is yet to publicly respond to the renewed criticisms.
