By Chioma Favour
Civil rights activist, Comrade Deji Adeyanju, has written an open letter to former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, urging her to withdraw charges against 15 of her former domestic staff who have been standing trial since 2019 over allegations of missing jewellery.
According to Adeyanju, the case, which has dragged on for more than five years, has subjected the accused persons to prolonged incarceration and untold hardship without resolution. He noted with concern that one of them, Sahabi Liman, recently died in Bayelsa prison after falling seriously ill during the prolonged trial.
“This is no longer about stolen jewellery but about human lives,” Adeyanju stated. “Even if they had been found guilty, they would not have spent this long behind bars for such an offence. And if they are innocent, then they have suffered unjustly for nothing.”
He argued that punishment must be proportionate and that the continued detention of the former staff had gone far beyond reason.
Appealing directly to Dame Patience Jonathan, Adeyanju described her as a “mother figure in the nation” and urged her to show compassion by discontinuing the case.
“Let compassion guide your decision and allow these ex-workers a chance to rebuild their lives,” he wrote.
