Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The trial of fourteen former domestic workers of Nigeria's former First Lady, Patience Jonathan, suffered yet another setback on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, when the prosecution counsel failed to appear at the Bayelsa State High Court, forcing the case to be adjourned indefinitely. The defendants, who were arrested in 2019 and have remained in custody for over seven years, were again left without a new hearing date, extending an ordeal that has already claimed the life of one of them.
A source familiar with the proceedings told SaharaReporters that the case was scheduled for the defence to conclude its case. "We went to court today but the case didn't proceed. The prosecuting counsel failed to appear in court after long awaiting adjournment," the source said. "The defence should have finished today, but now we need to wait for another date again. No new date for now." The source's account was corroborated by court officials who spoke to SaharaReporters on condition of anonymity.
The fourteen former workers were arrested in 2019 following allegations that they stole jewellery, electronics and furniture worth about N200 million from Mrs Jonathan. They have consistently denied the allegations, claiming that their confessional statements were extracted through torture and coercion. During previous hearings, some of the defendants told the court they were beaten, suspended, and forced to sign statements prepared by investigators. They also accused certain police officers and security aides linked to the former First Lady of participating in the alleged torture. Despite these claims, no investigations have been launched against the accused security operatives.
The case has been plagued by repeated adjournments since it commenced. A 2025 report indicated that proceedings had been adjourned more than 40 times between 2019 and 2025. The trial suffered another setback in July 2026 when the eighth defendant, Boma Oba, who is reportedly a brother and family relative of Mrs Jonathan, failed to appear in court despite being on bail. The court had no choice but to adjourn to July 28, 2026, for the defence to be concluded. That sitting also failed to deliver the hoped-for conclusion.
The prolonged detention has already had fatal consequences. One of the defendants, Sahabi Liman, became seriously ill while in custody at the Okaka Correctional Centre in Yenagoa. He was later granted bail on medical grounds, but his health deteriorated and he died in a hospital in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. His family blamed his death on the physical and emotional toll of prolonged detention without resolution of his case. His son told SaharaReporters, "My father was granted bail about three years ago to treat himself. At some point, he improved, but his condition worsened again. I was with him the night before he died. Around midnight, we got a call that he had passed away." Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju had in 2025 called on Mrs Jonathan to discontinue the case following Liman's death. The remaining defendants reportedly continue to face serious health challenges, with limited access to adequate medical care.
Allegations of deliberate delay have been building for months. In March 2026, SaharaReporters reported that multiple court officials had accused the Chief Judge of Bayelsa State, Matilda Abrakasa Ayemieye, of deliberately stalling the trial, possibly until after Nigeria's 2027 general elections. "We are hearing that there is a plan at the top to delay this case until after the 2027 elections. These inmates are exhausted. Some of them were crying in court today when they realised the matter would not be heard again," one source said at the time. "They have been in prison since 2019. That is over six years without conclusion of trial. Justice delayed in this case is clearly justice denied." The same source noted that only one defendant, Golden Vivian, had concluded her defence, while the rest were still waiting for the opportunity to present their side fully.
The Nigerian Bar Association has intervened in the case, engaging Mrs Jonathan over the prolonged detention of her former workers. The association has called for an end to what it described as a six-year ordeal. The workers were arrested over an alleged break-in at one of Mrs Jonathan's apartments in Otuoke, despite many of them not having worked in that particular apartment. They were slammed with 18 counts bordering on conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit felony, and burglary. A charge read that the defendants "did conspire to kill Her Excellency Dame Patience Jonathan and thereby committed an offence."
The prosecution has not closed its case, and the accused persons have not fully opened their defence. The case remains at the defence stage, with thirteen of the fourteen defendants yet to conclude their defence. The failure of the prosecution counsel to appear on Tuesday, and the absence of a new hearing date, means the defendants will remain in custody for the foreseeable future, with no clear path to resolution. The court has not indicated when it will sit again on the matter.
For the families of the detained workers, the latest adjournment is a bitter blow. They have spent years petitioning for their loved ones' release, raising concerns about deteriorating health, and appealing to the government, the judiciary, and the Nigerian Bar Association for intervention. Their efforts have yielded little. The workers remain at the Okaka Custodial Centre in Yenagoa, where they have spent over seven years without a conviction or conclusion of trial.
As of the time of filing this report, Mrs Jonathan's legal team had not issued a public response to the latest adjournment. The prosecution counsel also had not explained their absence from court. The case will remain in limbo until the court fixes a new date, leaving fourteen Nigerians and their families trapped in a cycle of indefinite detention and unending legal uncertainty. The question on everyone's mind is no longer whether justice will be done, but whether it will ever be attempted at all.
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