By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu, Bayelsa
Supporters of Dame Patience Jonathan, wife of former President Goodluck Jonathan, have dismissed as false and politically motivated recent claims that she is behind the prolonged incarceration of suspects involved in the 2019 armed robbery and burglary of her residence in Otuoke, Bayelsa State.
The group, operating under the banner of Bayelsa Renaissance, said the campaign of calumny against the former First Lady is a deliberate attempt to blackmail her into abandoning the case, which involves stolen jewellery and valuables allegedly worth over N500 million.
Convener of the group, Comrade Charles Omorodion, said their independent checks showed that the suspects were duly charged with armed robbery and attempted assassination by the Bayelsa State Police Command.
“This is a criminal case backed by confessional statements and investigations by the police,” Omorodion said. “The suspects are not just those who broke into the house but also those who purchased the stolen items.”
According to court documents, the accused include domestic staff, a personal assistant identified as Madam Sikpi, her boyfriend, and others alleged to have been part of the burglary operation or receivers of stolen goods. Sikpi was said to have handed over the keys to the home, which enabled access for the looting. Reports indicate her boyfriend later duplicated the keys, and they, alongside others, reportedly used dangerous tools including battle axes and hammers to force their way through six bulletproof doors inside the property.
Police sources revealed that some of the suspects allegedly used the proceeds of the theft to fund lavish lifestyles. One suspect was said to have financed her wedding in Port Harcourt and bought land behind the University of Port Harcourt.
Two foreign nationals from Niger Republic were also implicated in the purchase of stolen exotic jewellery and are now standing trial.
A source from the Bayelsa Police prosecution team stated that the delay in the case was due to the legal tactics of the defence counsels. “It’s a capital offence. If one of the defence lawyers fails to appear in court, the judge must adjourn. This has been the recurring delay.”
Another supporter close to the Jonathan family claimed the media uproar is being sponsored to distract and pressure the former First Lady. “They want to use sentiment to override justice. But the truth is, no one can run from the law. These suspects made confessional statements and implicated one another.”
He added that the recent court sitting was adjourned because of the official visit of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to Bayelsa, which engaged top judicial officers.
He also dismissed reports that Dame Patience Jonathan has interfered with the judiciary or pressured the correctional services to keep the accused in custody indefinitely.
“Contrary to rumours, she is deeply hurt by the betrayal and theft, especially from people she helped and empowered. She wants closure through the courts, not media drama. The law should take its course,” he said.
The case, which has stirred national attention, continues to raise questions about trust, loyalty, and justice in high-profile theft cases involving domestic insiders.