Bayelsa Court To Rule Sept 24 On Torture Claims In Patience Jonathan Workers’ Trial

The Bayelsa State High Court in Yenagoa will on September 24, 2025, deliver a ruling on whether confessional statements allegedly extracted through torture can be admitted as evidence in the ongoing trial of 15 domestic staff of former First Lady, Patience Jonathan.

The workers have been in custody at the Okaka Correctional Centre since 2019, accused of stealing jewellery reportedly worth hundreds of millions of naira. They insist the confessions tendered by the prosecution were forced out of them under brutal police torture.

During a trial-within-trial earlier this year, four defendants — Golden Vivian, Vincent Olabiyi, Tamunosiki Achese, and Emmanuel Aginwa — testified that they were beaten, suspended, and whipped until they signed statements under duress. They also named a police officer, identified as O.C. Chris, and Mrs. Jonathan’s former Chief Security Officer, Colin Otutu, as key figures in the alleged abuse.

Magistrates heard chilling accounts, including Vivian’s claim that she collapsed after being tied and flogged. Defence lawyers argue that the case has been politically motivated from the start, with no evidence beyond the disputed confessions.

Despite repeated testimonies and allegations of torture, no police officer has been investigated or prosecuted. Meanwhile, the defence accuses Mrs. Jonathan’s legal team of deliberately prolonging the case with delays and motions.

The trial, which began over five years ago, has suffered repeated adjournments until mounting public and media attention pushed the court to fast-track proceedings.

The September 24 ruling will decide if the confessional statements stand, a decision expected to either strengthen the prosecution’s case or potentially collapse it.