Crime
Patience Jonathan’s ex-aides rot in jail for stealing jewellery
Some former domestic workers of ex-First Lady, Patience Jonathan, who are being held in the Okaka Custodial Centre, Bayelsa State, have decried their maltreatment and delayed trial, saying they are undergoing hardship and torture.
Two of the workers, who spoke on Friday, begged for help, saying they were languishing in prison.
The workers had been in the custodial centre since 2019, as their trial faced constant delays due to repeated adjournments.
Those affected are Williams Alami, Vincent Olabiyi, Ebuka Cosmos, John Dashe, Tamunokuro Abaku, Emmanuel Aginwa, Erema Deborah, Precious Kingsley, Tamunosiki Achese, Sunday Reginald, Vivian Golden, Emeka Benson, Boma Oba, Salomi Wareboka, and Sahabi Lima.The defendants were brought before the High Court of Bayelsa sitting in Yenagoa, the state capital, in 2019.
They were accused of stealing seven gold bangles and jewellery, five Samsung air conditioners, two sets of upholstery chairs, and six Samsung flat-screen televisions valued at N200m.
They were also slammed with 18 counts bordering on conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit felony to wit: armed robbery, conspiracy to commit felony to wit: burglary and stealing, among others.
A charge read, “Golden Vivian, Erama Deborah, Precious Kingsley, Vincent Olabiyi, Ebuka Cosmos, Wiliams Alami, Tamunokuro Abaku, Boma Oba, Emmanuel Aginwa, Emeka Benson, Tamunosiki Achese Fiberesima, Wariboko Salome, Sahabi Liman, Reginald Sunday, John Dashe and others now at large, sometime in June 2019 at Otuoke community in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did conspire to kill Her Excellency Dame Patience Jonathan (former First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria) and thereby committed an offence.”
One of the defendants, who spoke from prison, lamented that they were being unlawfully detained.
The detainee noted that up till that moment, the police had yet to present any evidence against them.
“We have been in prison since 2019. We were domestic staff of the former first lady, Patience Jonathan. In 2019, there was a case of breaking into one of her apartments in Otuoke, and she decided to arrest all her workers.
“We were not even working in that apartment; since then, there is no evidence to prove to the court, and the case is not proceeding; she is still waiting for witnesses to come till today,” the worker said.
The detained worker appealed for help.
“Please, we need your intervention. We need help,” the detainee noted.
Another inmate alleged that they were being maltreated on the orders of the former first lady.
The inmate said, “These people want to kill us. In this prison, they are threatening us. Anything you can do for us to leave here, please do. When I was at the station, they tortured us and (threatened) they would take us to the back and beat and hang us.
“After they beat us, she would be on the phone listening to our voices and telling them it was not enough that they should bring us to her hotel and house. That is how we have been treated.”
Families seek speedy trial
Some of the parents and siblings of the defendants called on the Attorney General of the Federation, the National Human Rights Commission, and the Chief Judge of Bayelsa State to bring an end to the continued incarceration of their family members.
Speaking about the issue, the sister of one of the detainees (Tamunosiki), Gladys Achese, expressed anguish over the imprisonment of her sister.
Achese demanded the release of the 36-year-old, adding that each time she visited her sister, she couldn’t help but cry.
“This is not a nice experience. It is usually traumatising whenever I visit my sister in prison. The day I went, I was just crying; she was the one consoling me,” Achese said.
She revealed that her parents had pleaded with Mrs Jonathan, but nothing meaningful came out of the visit.
Achese mentioned that her parents had been affected by the situation.
She said, “They have been shuttling between Bayelsa and Port Harcourt since 2019 to see her. I am not saying my sister is guilty or not, but the court should do the right thing and give them fair hearing.
“They should also preside over the matter and give judgment. They have been delaying everything for six years now. We demand that the court be allowed to do its job. It is a bailable offence; they should grant them bail, and they will go to the court session from their locations.”
Steve Ibiene, the brother of another detainee, William Alami, expressed sadness over the situation, stating that he had been upset since his brother was imprisoned.
Ibiene said, “We only want them to do what is right. Let the court try them quickly, and if they are guilty, then sentence them to serve their punishment. They should not just be kept in prison without being tried. An investigation should be carried out. No court has pronounced them guilty, yet they have been in prison for six years.
“If they are later found guilty, what will happen to the six years they have spent? They should release all of them. No court has said they are guilty of the crime.
“The first lady accused people of theft and took them to prison, not just to a cell. She has been the one frustrating the case because she is a powerful person. Every time they go to court, they say the prosecutor is not around.”
Another relative, Boma Hubert, said his brother, Reginald Sunday, who was working in the former first lady’s hotel in Otuoke, was accused of stealing jewellery at the presidential villa in Abuja.
He described the continued detention of his brother as illegal, attributing it to the failure of the former first lady to appear in court since the case commenced in 2019.
Hubert said, “She (Patience Jonathan) has never appeared in court since the case started in 2019. The court was sitting twice a month before, but since 2023, the court has been sitting only once a month.
“The judge told us earlier this year that the case may be thrown out since the former first lady has never appeared in court, but nothing has been done to release them. I suspect that she (Patience Jonathan) is using her influence and power to ensure that they are not released.”
Similarly, the father of another defendant, Offor Cosmos, said he was exhausted, adding that his wife nearly died when the situation occurred.
Cosmos stated that his son had gone to Bayelsa to work for the former first lady, adding that he never expected things to turn out this way.
He said, “My son is suffering. He has pile and it is disturbing him seriously. I want the government to help me because I do not know what is happening. The woman should leave my son.”
Case suffers 40 adjournments
It was learnt that efforts by a human rights organisation, Tech4Justice, to secure the release of the defendants on bail were frustrated.
The organisation accused the Bayelsa State judiciary of succumbing to pressure from influential individuals close to the former first lady.Providing insight into the challenges surrounding the case, a legal associate of the group, Funmi Adedoyin, said the prosecution had yet to close its case, adding that the accused persons had not opened their defence.
She revealed that the matter had been adjourned more than 40 times between 2019 and 2025.
Adedoyin said, “We have filed applications, made representations, and sought bail on many occasions. But the judiciary appears unwilling to proceed with the case. These young men and women have been forgotten in prison.
“Due to the political weight of the complainant in the matter, we have encountered several hurdles. The judge who was handling the case was later elevated to the position of Chief Judge of Bayelsa State.
“Since her elevation, it has been difficult for her to combine administrative duties with presiding over this particular case. She is often away on official assignments. However, in recent times, she has begun to give the matter some attention, with efforts towards accelerated hearing.”
The lawyer also lamented the frequent absence of police prosecutors in court, saying it had further stalled proceedings.
“For the past two adjournments, last month and again on Wednesday this week, the case could not proceed because the police prosecutor was absent. Several police officers have handled the case, and most of them have been transferred out of Bayelsa, with some now serving in Lagos and other places. They often give excuses about being on special assignments.
“Many of the adjournments have been due to the absence of police witnesses. Also, the general slow pace of justice in Nigeria contributes to the delay, especially as courts went on vacation for several months,” she said.
Adedoyin said efforts were made to secure the detainees’ bail, but the applications were denied at the early stage of the trial.
“They have been behind bars. We applied for bail at the beginning of the case, but it was denied. The trial has been ongoing, but several factors have delayed it until now,” she said.
She expressed sadness over the plight of one of the female defendants who lost her child while in custody and was unable to attend the funeral.
“Three of the defendants are currently on bail on health grounds, including one who had tuberculosis,” the counsel added.
‘Charged for conspiracy to kill’
Adedoyin noted that rather than investigate those directly involved in the theft, the police arrested all domestic staff on the alleged instruction of the complainant.
She revealed that beyond what was being reported, the 15 domestic staff were charged with conspiracy to kill the former first lady.
“Everyone in the villa was arrested. The police know that stealing is a bailable offence. Because of that, they charged them with another offence entirely different from the alleged theft of the jewellery – conspiracy to kill Madam Patience Jonathan. This is another exposé on what happened.”
“This was to ensure that they would not have any means of escape. The police did not even have any evidence suggesting that these people were armed. That is why it has been very difficult to secure their bail,” she added.
Efforts to get a reaction from Mrs Jonathan proved abortive.
Calls and messages to the Media Adviser of the Jonathan family, Mr Ikechukwu Eze, were not responded to as of the time of filing this report.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has arrested a suspected notorious fraudster involved in obtaining money by false pretence and other related fraudulent activities in Enugu metropolis.
Addressing journalists on Thursday in Enugu, the State Commandant, NSCDC Enugu State Command, Dr Elijah Willie, disclosed that the suspect, Raheem Abiodun, a male from Kwara, had been under surveillance by the Command.
Willie said that the suspect surveillance followed several reports linking him to fraudulent financial transactions.
The commandant explained that one of the suspect’s recent fraudulent activities occurred on July 6, when the suspect allegedly deceived a victim during a foreign exchange transaction involving $5,000 US Dollars.
According to him, the suspect was expected to transfer the naira equivalent of the foreign currency to the victim but instead transmitted a fake payment alert, thereby obtaining the money by false pretence.
He noted that acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the NSCDC Enugu State Command arrested the suspect on Tuesday, July 28, at the Enugu State Ministry of Finance, where he was apprehended without incident.
“The NSCDC operatives also recovered: four ATM cards from different banks, deposit slips bearing the name Abiodun, two complimentary cards bearing the name Engineer Abiodun, one ID card holder, designer bag, polythene bag and one iPhone 17 Pro-Max.
“One Samsung mobile phone, one internet pocket Wi-Fi device, one designer wristwatch, one file containing vehicle particulars, one gold bangle, one pair of designer trainers, one Nokia mobile phone and banking security tokens belonging to two banks,” he said.
Following the NSCDC preliminary investigation and press briefing, the commandant handed over the suspect, along with all recovered exhibits, to the Zonal Command of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Enugu, for further investigation and possible prosecution.
The state NSCDC boss said that the handing over was in line with the EFCC’s statutory mandate over economic and financial crimes.
The commandant reaffirmed the commitment of the NSCDC in collaborating with sister security and law enforcement agencies in combating financial crimes and safeguarding the economic interests of citizens.
He urged members of the public to remain vigilant, exercise caution in financial transactions, particularly foreign exchange dealings, and promptly report suspicious activities to the appropriate security agencies.
Willie also assured residents of the command’s continue deployment of intelligence-driven operations to rid the state of criminal elements and ensure that offenders are brought to justice.
The Secretary to the Osun State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, and five others have been arrested and detained by the state Police Command following a raid on his residence in Osogbo on Wednesday.
The police said one of those arrested at the SSG’s residence was Oladele Abiodun, a suspect on its watchlist in connection with alleged criminal offences.
This was disclosed by the Osun State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, in a statement obtained in Osogbo.
Ojelabi also said a total of N4,810,500, two Permanent Voter Cards, a voter register, a Dynabook laptop, one photocopier and one printer were recovered from Igbalaye’s residence.
Others arrested alongside Igbalaye were identified as Akande Taiwo, 60; Adeyemo Lukman, 45; Olaoye Muftau, 50; and Aderemi Musliu, 40.
The PPRO said a police team, acting on intelligence that members of a criminal gang were hiding at a location in Osogbo, carried out a lawful raid and apprehended the suspects.
“The operation also led to the arrest of the following suspects: Hon Igbalaye Teslim ‘m’ 47years, One Akande Taiwo ‘m’ 60years, Oladele Abiodun ‘m’ 38years, Adeyemo Lukman ‘m’ 45years, Olaoye Muftau ‘m’ 50years, Aderemi Musliu ‘m’ 40years.
“During the operation, officers recovered exhibits comprising cash sum of four million eight hundred and ten thousand, five hundred naira (N4,810,500), one Dynabook laptop, one photocopy machine, one printer, two Voter’s Cards and a voter register for Wards 1-15.
“These exhibits have been secured and are currently in police custody for detailed forensic examination and further investigation.
“The recovery of the cash and the register containing voters’ details raises serious concerns regarding possible electoral offences and other criminal activities.
“While investigations are still ongoing, the facts presently available disclose reasonable grounds to investigate the commission of offences, which may include:
“Bribery of voters (vote-buying), contrary to Section 121 of the Electoral Act, 2022, arising from the alleged distribution of money or other inducements to registered voters for the purpose of influencing their voting decisions.
“Criminal conspiracy, where two or more persons are found to have agreed to commit an unlawful act.
“Harbouring or concealing a wanted criminal, where any individual is found to have knowingly sheltered or assisted a fugitive from justice.
“Any other offences that may be disclosed upon the conclusion of the ongoing investigation,” the statement read in part.
The command emphasised that the allegations against the suspects have far-reaching implications for public security, the administration of justice and the credibility of the democratic process.
“Accordingly, investigations are being intensified to identify all persons connected with the recovered exhibits, establish the source and intended use of the recovered funds, and determine the full extent of any criminal enterprise,” the statement added.
The Osun Command said no individual, irrespective of social status, political affiliation or public office, is above the law, adding that anyone found culpable at the conclusion of investigations would be prosecuted in accordance with the Constitution.
It urged members of the public to remain calm, law-abiding and continue providing credible information to assist the police in preventing crime and ensuring peaceful, free, fair and credible electoral processes.
The Osun State Government on Wednesday accused the state command of the Nigeria Police Force of invading the residence of the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, without a search warrant.
The allegation was contained in a statement signed by the state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi.
He also claimed that those the police met on the premises were arrested.
Alimi further alleged that the SSG’s residence was burst into by a combined team of police officers led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations.
The family of slain military intelligence officer, Colonel Abdulrazaq Abdulkareem Udeh, has rejected reports that he was killed while resisting a kidnapping attempt in Abuja, insisting that the senior Army officer was deliberately assassinated by armed attackers.
The family made its position known on Wednesday, contradicting earlier security reports that claimed the colonel died after confronting gunmen who allegedly attempted to abduct him at his residence in the Kurudu area of the Federal Capital Territory.
In a Facebook post, the deceased’s brother-in-law, Ali Chukwudi, described the incident as a calculated assassination rather than a failed kidnap attempt.
“Yesterday, Nigeria failed one of its finest,” Chukwudi wrote. “My brother-in-law, Colonel Abdulrazaq Abdulkareem Udeh, a senior intelligence officer who dedicated years of his life to defending this nation, was not killed while resisting a kidnapping, as some reports claimed. He was deliberately targeted and brutally assassinated.”
According to him, the attackers shot the officer in the head, killing him instantly, before opening fire on other members of the household.
“They shot my sister, his wife, in the leg. The driver and the gateman were also shot in the legs. As I write this, my sister is in the hospital, fighting to survive,” he said.
Chukwudi lamented that the officer’s life was cut short just months before a promotion he had earned through years of dedicated service.
Describing the killing as an attack on a patriotic soldier, he called for a thorough and transparent investigation to ensure that everyone involved is identified, arrested and prosecuted.
“This was not just another tragic incident. It was a calculated attack on a man who served his country with honour. Justice must not only be done; it must be seen to be done,” he stated.
He also prayed for the repose of the officer’s soul and the recovery of his injured wife.
The family’s account differs significantly from preliminary information released by security sources after the attack. Initial reports indicated that gunmen ambushed Colonel Udeh shortly after he arrived home on Monday evening and attempted to abduct him. According to those reports, the officer resisted despite being outnumbered before he was shot at close range.
A security source familiar with the early investigation had said, “He resisted them. From what investigators have gathered, they wanted to take him away, but he fought back. Unfortunately, he paid the ultimate price.”
The attack also left the colonel’s wife, driver and security guard with gunshot injuries. All three are currently receiving treatment in hospital.
Before his death, Colonel Udeh served in several key military intelligence and counter-terrorism roles within the Armed Forces. He participated in operations against insurgents in Nigeria’s North-East and also undertook specialised international assignments in Chad and France.
His killing has reignited concerns over the security of serving and retired military personnel in the Federal Capital Territory, coming barely two years after the killing of retired Brigadier General Uwem Harold Udokwere during an attack on his Abuja residence in June 2024.
The Kano State Police Command has rescued nine passengers who were abducted after armed bandits attacked a commercial bus along the Jos-Kano highway in Doguwa Local Government Area of the state.
The command’s spokesperson, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday in Kano, saying the incident occurred at about 5:30 p.m. on July 26.
According to him, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Doguwa Division received a distress call reporting that a Toyota Hiace bus, with registration number BKK 6824 XA, travelling from Jos to Kano, had been attacked around the Folgore Forest axis, between Gate Two Safer Highway and Dogo Dutse.
Kiyawa said five suspected armed bandits, reportedly armed with machetes and a firearm, blocked the highway, attacked the vehicle and abducted 13 of the 20 passengers on board.
He said the DPO immediately mobilised tactical police operatives to the scene, where they engaged the attackers in a gun battle.
The police spokesperson said the swift intervention of the operatives led to the rescue of nine victims, while another male passenger later escaped from captivity.
He, however, disclosed that three victims — one male and two females — remained in the custody of the abductors.
The rescued passengers were taken to Doguwa General Hospital for medical evaluation and were reported to be in stable condition.
Kiyawa said the command had intensified operations, deploying additional tactical teams and enhancing intelligence gathering efforts to secure the release of the remaining victims and apprehend the perpetrators.
The Commissioner of Police in Kano State, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, commended members of the public for providing timely information that contributed to the rescue operation.
Bakori reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property and urged residents to continue reporting suspicious activities to security agencies.
He added that investigations into the incident were ongoing, assuring that further updates would be made available to the public.
The arrest was effected by troops of Operation Hadin Kai according to an X post by security professional, Zagazola Makama.
Identifying the suspect as Private Mohammed Yusuf of the Nigerian Army Ordnance Training Facility, NAOTF, Lagos with service number: 23NA/84/1939, Makama said he was apprehended by troops of 7 Provost Group led by the Acting Commander at about 6:30pm on July 25, 2026 by.
He had earlier absconded from his unit and travelled to Maiduguri on July 7, 2026, where he allegedly went into hiding.
This made the army high command to declare him wanted.
According to Makama, “The suspect is currently in the custody of the 7 Provost Group, where he is undergoing further investigation into the alleged supply of military accoutrements to terrorist elements and the possible involvement of other collaborators.
“The arrest is a significant breakthrough in ongoing efforts to dismantle insider networks aiding terrorist groups, adding that investigations are continuing to establish the full extent of the suspect’s activities and identify any accomplices,” Makama said.
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