Chidinma Ojukwu, a 300-level Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos, and two others are on trial over Ataga’s murder.
The trial of Chidinma Ojukwu, the prime suspect in the murder of Super TV Chief Executive Officer, Usifo Ataga, before a Lagos High Court, sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), has been adjourned to Monday, February 21.
Chidinma Ojukwu, a 300-level Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos, and two others are on trial over Ataga’s murder.
Ojukwu is standing trial alongside her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, and one Adedapo Quadri. The alleged murder took place at the Lekki Phase 1, area of Lagos State.
At the resumed hearing of the matter on Thursday, the sixth witness in the case, one Inspector Ibrahim Isiaka from Maroko Police Station, who is also the IPO told the court that the owner of the short-let apartment reported a murder case at the station on June 16, 2021 and the following day, the emergency team from Yaba evacuated the corpse after which the case was transferred to the SCID, Panti.
Recall that on Monday, a partner at Super Network Limited, the parent company of Super TV, Raman Saliu disclosed that the late Chief Executive Officer, Usifo Ataga’s body was seen with deep cuts from his neck to the back, on the stomach, and around the ribs.
Saliu who is the fifth witness in the case, informed the Lagos High Court in TBS, that his friend of 10 years was killed like a chicken, noting that there were seven stab wounds on the deceased’s body.
Saliu, a network engineer and programmer, affirmed that he got a call from the deceased saying he had blood pressure and he suggested some drugs to him and advised him to take a rest.
"We scheduled an executive meeting on Wednesday around 2pm on June 15, 2021, and I called him in the morning that an assignment was completed but got no response.
"I later got a WhatsApp message from the deceased saying I saw your missed call, I took some drugs that have made me to be sleeping. The English grammar was suspicious and couldn’t have come from the deceased.
“I sent him a screenshot of the task they had talked about but his response was, ok great. I wasn’t convinced that the message came from the deceased because he would be excited over the task.
"I contacted Mr Usifo’s driver and Personal Assistant but they said they had not seen him. I went to the deceased’s hang-out spots where we had been together before his death and didn’t see him there.
"I raised the alarm on June 16, the deceased phone was going through but nobody answered it.
"The last message to the deceased was on June 16, at 10:30am, which said 'Bros where are you, I’m worried, My BP is rising.' But the message was read and there was no response.
"The following day, I got a call from Mr Ataga’s wife, Brenda Ataga, asking for the deceased’s whereabouts.
"We traced the deceased’s phone to Unilag (University of Lagos), I got a phone call from the bank who I had asked to help trace a transaction that could help with a lead as to where the deceased could be.
"The banker called and said Ataga made a transaction on Sunday and Monday to an Airbnb apartment (the short-let apartment) and Sterling Bank.”
However, he said he learnt of Ataga’s demise from Mrs Ataga and on June 23, he got a call from the police that Ms Ojukwu had been arrested and that deceased’s phone and laptop had been recovered.