In an interview with Punch, Ibiamina Igbiri, the 78-year-old mother of Deborah Erema, one of the 15 individuals arrested in 2019 over the alleged theft of jewellery belonging to former First Lady, Mrs. Patience Jonathan, has continued to defend her daughter’s innocence, providing more insight into her daughter’s relationship with the former First Lady.
According to Ibiamina, Deborah was a trusted staff member who not only had access to Mrs. Jonathan’s personal belongings but was also often entrusted with sensitive responsibilities. She stated that whenever her daughter needed to travel, she always sought permission from Mrs. Jonathan, who would often instruct her to hand over keys to another staff member known as “Mama F” during her absence.
“She would never travel without informing her boss, and upon her return, she always went to Mama F to retrieve the keys,” Ibiamina explained.
Highlighting her daughter’s integrity, the elderly woman recalled how Mrs. Jonathan occasionally left money in Deborah’s care. “My daughter would never touch it. In fact, she would be so uncomfortable holding on to that money that she would call Mrs. Jonathan to come and collect it,” she said. In many cases, the former First Lady would then send someone else to retrieve the money.
Ibiamina pointed out that if her daughter had any ill intentions, she had multiple opportunities to act otherwise. “She never took her pin. She had the chance, but she never did. That’s why it pained me when they brought this kind of allegation against her,” she added with emotion.
Now in her sixth year of incarceration, Deborah’s case continues to linger in the courts. Her mother, who has consistently vouched for her daughter’s character, is calling for justice and a fair reassessment of the allegations.
