A legal practitioner, Funmi Adedoyin, has raised concern over the prolonged detention and delayed trial of 15 former domestic aides of ex-First Lady Dame Patience Jonathan, who are facing multiple charges, including theft, conspiracy to commit murder, armed robbery, and burglary.

The defendants, arraigned in 2019 before the Bayelsa State High Court in Yenagoa, are accused of stealing luxury items—including gold jewellery, air conditioners, Samsung televisions, and furniture, valued at over ₦200 million.

According to Adedoyin, the case has now suffered 42 adjournments, including two most recently on June 25 and 26, due to the abduction of Justice Ebiyerin Omukoro on June 21 in Yenagoa. The judge’s kidnapping forced court sittings into suspension in what Adedoyin described as a gesture of solidarity by the judiciary.

“We are not happy about these delays... The defendants have been languishing in detention for six years,” she said.

Adedoyin emphasized that despite the legal setbacks, advocacy efforts would continue to push for a timely and fair conclusion to the case.

Also speaking with Saturday PUNCH, Gladys Achese, sister to one of the detainees, expressed frustration over the continued incarceration and uncertainty surrounding future court sessions.

 “We are sad. The case is just dragging... We do not know the next approach to take. It is frustrating,” she lamented.

With the courts expected to go on recess in August, the timeline for resuming the trial remains unclear, adding to growing concerns about justice delayed and prolonged pre-trial detentio