 has rejected accusations that former First Lady Patience Jonathan){kind=link}
Every single person who was being kept at the correctional facility was there legitimately.
The Bayelsa State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has rejected accusations that former First Lady Patience Jonathan was involved in the illegal custody of fifteen of her former domestic staff members at the Okaka Custodial Centre.
The reports claimed that Patience Jonathan was implicated in the detention situation. A bogus attempt was made to taint the image of the Service, according to the command, which described the claims as being fake.
The allegations, which were made public not too long ago, stated that the domestic workers had been detained since 2019 due to the alleged theft of valuables.
These valuables included seven gold bangles, jewelry, five Samsung air conditioners, two sets of upholstery chairs, and six Samsung flat-screen televisions, which were reportedly valued at N200 million.
In addition, it was reported that they were being charged with 18 charges of conspiracy to do murder, conspiracy to commit crime, and burglary.
Isari Gbosi Tombara, the spokesperson for the correctional facility, issued a statement entitled “Unfounded and being spread to tarnish the good image of the Service” on Sunday, April 6.
In the statement, he dismissed the charges as “unfounded.” Tombara also addressed the rumors that a meeting between the former first lady and senior executives of the National Council of State of Bayelsa took place behind closed doors.
He stated that such a meeting did not take place. The statement also stated that the convicts had been handled in a fair and compassionate manner while they were being held in custody. There has been a respect for their most fundamental human rights.
Tombara stated that the detainees had appeared in court on March 10 and 11, as well as again on April 3, 2025. The case was postponed until April 17, 2025, according to information provided by Tombara.
At the same time, he emphasized that every single person who was being kept at the correctional facility was there legitimately.
“An individual is not permitted to be accepted into any detention facility in Nigeria unless they have a warrant that has been issued by a court that has the authority to do so.
It is important to emphasize that they are not being held in our custody unlawfully because they were all accompanied by valid remand warrants issued by the court, as expressed by him.
Additional reassurance was provided to the general public by the command that the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Okaka continues to be among the most tranquil facilities in the nation.
It is therefore recommended that they disregard the aforementioned reports because they are designed to create havoc in a place where none exists.
In addition, the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) reaffirmed its dedication, under the direction of Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, the Acting Controller General of Corrections, to maintain the safe and humane custody of all lawfully detained individuals, as well as to guarantee the successful reformation, rehabilitation, and reintegration of these individuals into society.