The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has clarified the reasons behind the prolonged delay in the trial of 13 domestic staff of former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, who have been detained at the Okaka Correctional Centre in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, since 2019.
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Speaking during a press briefing on Monday as part of the activities to mark the 2025 Law Week, Chairman of the NBA Yenagoa Branch, Somina Johnbull, revealed that the delay was largely due to procedural complexities and the sensitive nature of the case, which carries capital punishment.
Themed ‘Setting the Pace: Law, Leadership and Transformational Development’, the Law Week will culminate in a keynote address by former Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, on Friday, May 16.
Johnbull explained that due to the gravity of the charges, all defense counsels must be present for the trial to proceed—a condition that has never been fully met. Each of the 13 defendants is represented by a different lawyer, and court records indicate that at no time were all the lawyers present simultaneously.
“With regard to the case, I want to say that the NBA investigated it. We spoke with all the lawyers involved, and the fault isn’t from the court,” Johnbull stated. “This is a capital offence matter; whenever one lawyer is absent, the case stalls. The court has always been ready.”
He also noted the unusual nature of such prolonged proceedings in Bayelsa, a state which has adopted modern judicial tools like electronic recording to expedite trials.
Highlighting the court’s willingness to proceed, Johnbull disclosed that at the last sitting in April, the court even offered to recuse itself following media sensationalism around the matter. However, the defendants appealed for the judge to continue, expressing confidence in the court’s impartiality.
The NBA, according to Johnbull, considers the situation highly unusual and is monitoring the case closely to ensure that justice is served without further unnecessary delay.
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