Nigerian Correctional Service Refutes False Claims of Illegal Detention of Patience Jonathan’s Staff
The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Bayelsa State Command, has strongly dismissed reports circulating on social media that 15 domestic staff of former President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan, have been illegally detained at the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Okaka since 2019.
In a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASC I G.T. Isari, the NCoS refuted the claims, describing them as false and misleading. The reports alleged that the domestic staff were held without trial for stealing from the Jonathan family, with some even suggesting that a clandestine meeting between Dame Patience Jonathan and senior correctional officials took place in Bayelsa.
The NCoS clarified that the individuals in question were lawfully remanded in custody by the Bayelsa State High Court 1 and have been attending their trial as scheduled. The statement further explained that the inmates were in court on March 10 and 11, 2025, and most recently on April 3, 2025, with the next hearing set for April 17, 2025.
The correctional service also assured the public that the detainees have been treated fairly and humanely while in custody, and their rights have been respected in accordance with legal procedures. No individual can be admitted to a custodial centre without a valid court-issued remand warrant, and all 15 detainees were admitted following due legal process.
Additionally, the NCoS reaffirmed that the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Okaka remains one of the most peaceful facilities in the country and advised the public to disregard the “fabricated” reports that were intended to cause unnecessary unrest.
The statement concluded with a reassurance that under the leadership of Acting Controller General of Corrections, Sylvester Ndidi Nwakuche, the NCoS is committed to maintaining safe, humane, and lawful custody for inmates, focusing on their reformation and reintegration into society.
