Fourteen former domestic workers of Nigeria’s former First Lady, Patience Jonathan, who have remained in detention since 2019 over allegations of theft and related offences, are facing renewed uncertainty as their trial at the Bayelsa State High Court continues to stall.
A source familiar with the case alleged that attempts were being made to prolong the proceedings until after the February 2027 general elections, raising fresh concerns about the prolonged detention of the defendants and the repeated delays that have prevented the case from reaching a conclusion.
The defendants were originally 15 in number, but one of them, identified as Liman, has died, leaving 14 facing trial.
The latest setback reportedly occurred on September 22, 2026, when the defendants were prepared to conclude their defence but the proceedings could not continue because the prosecution counsel failed to appear in court.
According to a source who spoke to SaharaReporters, the defence had been prepared to conclude its case on the scheduled date, which would have brought the proceedings closer to the adoption of written addresses, a critical stage before judgment.
The source, however, alleged that Patience Jonathan had directed that the case be delayed indefinitely until after the 2027 general elections.
“Patience Jonathan has given them a directive to adjourn the case indefinitely and the judge should not allow the sitting till after general election in February,” the source told SaharaReporters.
The allegation has not been independently verified, and no response from Jonathan or the court addressing the claim was included in the report.
The source further alleged that the prosecution counsel’s failure to appear on September 22 contributed to the latest delay, claiming that the defendants were unable to conclude their defence as planned.
“But Patience Jonathan told the judge to tactically delay the proceedings, and this is why the prosecution did not show up on September 22, 2026,” the source alleged.
The defendants have reportedly made efforts to secure another hearing date, but those attempts have yet to yield a positive outcome, according to the source.
“This is exactly a month now. The defendants have tried all their best to get another date, but the Bayelsa judiciary is blocking it. They want these defendants to suffer more,” the source said.
The latest development has intensified concerns over the length of time the former domestic workers have spent in custody while awaiting the conclusion of their trial.
The source lamented that the defendants had already spent approximately seven years in detention, with repeated setbacks continuing to delay the resolution of the case.
“These are people who have already spent seven years in prison while waiting for the trial,” the source said.
The case has suffered several setbacks since the defendants were arrested and arraigned in 2019 over allegations involving missing jewellery and other valuables reportedly belonging to the former First Lady.
Previous reports indicated that the defendants were accused of stealing seven gold bangles and other jewellery, five Samsung air conditioners, two sets of upholstered chairs and six Samsung flat-screen televisions, with the items reportedly valued at approximately ₦200 million.
The allegations remain subject to the outcome of the court proceedings.
In July 2026, the trial reportedly suffered another setback after one of the defendants, Boma Oba, who was said to be on bail, failed to appear in court. The judge subsequently adjourned the matter to July 28 to enable the defence to conclude its case.
However, the proceedings have continued to face delays, with the September 22 sitting failing to proceed as expected following the reported absence of the prosecution counsel.
The death of one of the defendants has also drawn attention to the human cost of the prolonged proceedings.
Liman reportedly became seriously ill while in custody and was later granted bail on medical grounds. He subsequently died after his health deteriorated.
Following his death in 2025, human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju called on Patience Jonathan to discontinue the case.
The remaining defendants and their families have continued to await the conclusion of the proceedings, with the latest delay leaving the timeline for the next hearing uncertain.
The allegations of deliberate interference in the trial and attempts to postpone proceedings until after the 2027 elections remain claims made by the source and have not been independently established.