“She delegated ASP Otutu… to ensure they tortured us aggressively—he came drunk with extra alcohol for the officers.”
A shocking handwritten note from Bayelsa’s Okaka Correctional Centre reveals former First Lady Patience Jonathan allegedly supervised and participated in the torture of 15 domestic workers imprisoned since 2019 over unproven theft allegations. The detainees claim she directed police to intensify beatings with whips, machetes, and even used her high-heeled shoes during midnight torture sessions at her Yenagoa residence.
The workers, detained without conviction for five years, accused Jonathan’s chief security officer, ASP Collins Otutu, of delivering alcohol to officers to “energize” their brutality. Relatives say the case—involving missing jewelry—has been deliberately stalled by judicial interference.
“Patience Jonathan repeatedly insisted the police weren’t torturing us enough… she personally supervised it,” the note reads. Among the detained are Williams Alami, Erema Deborah, and 13 others. Legal group TECH4JUSTICE alleges the Chief Judge is prolonging the trial under Jonathan’s influence.
READ THE FULL STORY IN SAHARA REPORTERS