Tag: super TV

SuperTV CEO murder: Police tore my statements, forced me to sign theirs – Chidinma

Chidinma Ojukwu, the alleged murder suspect of Super TV Chief Executive Officer, Usifo Ataga on Thursday told a Lagos High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square that the statement she wrote at the police was torn.

Ojukwu said this while giving evidence at the trial within trial to ascertain whether the statement she made was voluntarily made or coaxed.

The former 300-level Mass Communication undergraduate of the University of Lagos is standing trial for the alleged murder of Ataga.

She, alongside one Adedapo Quadri and her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, is also charged with stealing and forgery.

At the resumed trial, Ojukwu said that the two statements she wrote were torn and she was forced to sign the one written by ASP Olusegun Bamidele.

She said that she was also forced to sign the one dictated to her by officer Olufunke Madeyinlo.

The defendant who testified as the defence witness one (DW1), told the court that Bamidele asked her to rehearse the statement and narrate it to the Commissioner of Police (CP).

Ojukwu said that before she was taken to the CP’s office at Ikeja, her hands were handcuffed to the chair she sat from June 23 till the next morning on June 24, 2021.

Ojukwu was led in evidence in the trial within trial by her counsel, Mr Onwunka Egwu.

She narrated to the court that on June 23, 2021, she was in her room at their house, at No. 47 Akinwunmi St., Alagomeji Yaba, when her 10-year-old little sister informed her that there were men at the sitting room asking after her.

The witness said that she went to the sitting room and greeted the men, they then asked if she was Chidinma and she answered yes.

According to her, the men asked her the whereabouts of Mr Ataga’s phone and the Range Rover jeep and she said she did not know.

“My little sister called my father and informed him about the visitors.

“My Dad came out and asked the men who they were, they said they were police from the Panti Police Station.

“They said they came to arrest me and to search the house or I should go in and bring the phone.

“One of the policemen slapped me and my father told him not to slap his daughter in his house,” she said.

However, the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions,Mrs Adenike Oluwafemi, objected and said she was giving evidence in the case instead of evidence on how her statement was taken.

Justice Yetunde Adesanya, however, asked Ojukwu’s counsel to guide her.

Ojukwu said that when the police arrested her, she asked her father to call their family lawyer, Mr Onwuka Egwu.

She said that she was taken to DCP Razak Oseni’s office, were police officers asked her a lot of questions.

“We went back to my house and back to the DCP’s office. At DCP’s office, he asked me questions. I told him that I don’t know anything about the death of Mr Ataga, that was when they made the video that was played in court.

“The DCP said I should make my statement. IPO Bamidele, therefore, took me to the interrogating room with Mr Chris, and gave me a blank statement form and asked me to write what happened.

“I started writing, Bamidele took my left hand and handcuffed it to the chair. I wrote what I narrated at the DCP’s office.

“While I was writing, Bamidele took the statement from me, read it and said it was not what happened.

“I told him, sir, what I am writing is what happened. I also told him that I asked my father to call my lawyer, he said my Dad cannot make a call that he was in custody with them. I then started writing the statement.

“When he took the statement from me and said this is not what happened. I told him sir, this is what happened. I received two slaps from the back from Mr Jemiyo.

“Jemiyo and Chris were sitting behind me, the only person facing me was Bamidele. He said “you are going to write the truth”.

“He tore all the statements I had written and presented another blank statement form. I told him sir, I was writing the truth, you tore it.

“He said if I do not comply my family, my Dad, 10-year-old sister and my relatives will be charged with this murder case,” she said.

The defendant narrated how officer Bamidele, brought out his phone, played the video of the scene at the apartment and showed pictures of Mr Ataga’s body.

Ojukwu said that the officer then asked her to write, while she was writing, the officer slapped her and said she was slow.

The defendant said she told the officer that she was not feeling well.

She said that the officer took the statement form from her and wrote the statement for her and handcuffed her hands to the chair.

She said that when the statement was read to her, she told the officer that it was not what happened but the officer said, “this is what you are going to say or else your family will be charged.

“He read the statement to me again and told me to rehearse it, that tomorrow (June 24, 2021), I will take it to the CP’s office and say that’s what happened.

“He left me there, it was around midnight”.

She said the officers came back in the morning and asked her to sign the statement.

During cross examination by the prosecution, Oluwafemi, Ojukwu affirmed that she signed the statements.

The defendant also said that the second statement was dictated while the first was written.

Asked if she reported to anybody that she was slapped and that her head was hit on the table.

She said,”I did not report to anybody because there was nobody to report to”.

After testifying in her trial within trial, the judge gave the prosecution and the defence 14 days each to file their written addresses in the trial within trial.

Justice Adesanya, consequently, adjourned the case until Jan.11, 2023, for the adoption of final written addresses in the trial within trial.

November 17, 2022
Ataga: Chidinma made her statement herself – Witness

A prosecution witness, ASP Olufunke Madeyinlo, on Tuesday testified that Chidinma Ojukwu, the alleged murder suspect of the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, Usifo Ataga, wrote her statement voluntarily.

Madeyinlo made the statement while testifying as the second prosecution witness in the trial within trial to ascertain whether Ojukwu was coaxed or induced to make a statement that she killed Ataga by herself.

Ojukwu, a 300-level Mass Communication undergraduate of the University of Lagos, is standing trial for the alleged murder of Ataga.

She is also charged with stealing and forgery alongside one Adedapo Quadri and her sister, Chioma Egbuchu.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ojukwu’s counsel, Mr Onwuka Egwu, had objected to the admissibility of the defendant’s statement.

He said that the defendant did not make the statements voluntarily which made the court to go into trial within trial to ascertain the voluntariness of the defendant’s statement.

At the resumed hearing, the Deputy Director of Prosecution, Mrs Adenike Oluwafemi, called her second witness for the continuation of trial within trial.

However, the first defendant’s counsel, Mr Onwuka Egwu, announced his appearance, while the second defendant’s counsel, Mr Babatunde Busari, as well as the third defendant’s counsel, Mrs F.O. Ilesanmi, also announced their appearance.

Madeyinlo who had worked for 33 years in the police, said that on June 24, 2021, the Officer in Charge of the homicide session, Panti Yaba, Razak Oseni, brought the defendant to her office to write her statement.

She said that she gave the first defendant a statement form and a pen.

According to the witness, DCP Adegoke Bayoade, sent for Oseni, who left the first defendant in her office.

Madeyinlo said that about 40 minutes later, Oseni came back to her office and took Ojukwu’s written statement.

She said, “Oseni collected the statement and went away with the first defendant.

“Nothing happened and nobody forced her to write the statement. She wrote the statement herself.”

During cross-examination by Ojukwu’s counsel, the witness said that she shared her office with three other officers, ASP Gbolahon Jemiyo, ASP Gbola Alabi, and Insp. Kolawole Lukman.

When asked if it was after Jemiyo had assaulted the first defendant that her statement was taken, the witness said that she was in the office with only Alabi when the defendant wrote her statement.

Asked if she interacted with Ojukwu while she was writing her statement, Madeyinlo answered in the affirmative.

“I did not ask her any questions, she wrote her statement herself. The only question I asked her was if she was satisfied with the statement she wrote.

“She answered yes, then I asked her to sign it,” the witness said.

Egwu asked the witness if she gave a 10-year-old girl wrapper to cover herself in the night, on June 23 and 24, 2021.

The witness said that she could not remember because the incident happened a long time ago.

Asked if she knew what happened to the statement the first defendant made on June 24, 2021, she said no.

However, Justice Yetunde Adesanya adjourned the case until Nov. 17, for the first defendant to testify in the trial within trial.

November 15, 2022
Ataga: Court commences trial within trial

The Lagos High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square on Tuesday commenced the trial within trial to ascertain the voluntariness of the statement of Chidinma Ojukwu, the alleged murder suspect of the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, Usifo Ataga.

Ojukwu, a 300-level Mass Communication undergraduate, of the University of Lagos, is standing trial for the alleged murder of Ataga. She is also charged with stealing and forgery alongside one Adedapo Quadri and her sister, Chioma Egbuchu.

On the last adjourned date, the ninth prosecution witness, DSP Olusegun Bamidele, narrated how Chidinma transferred the sum of N5 million from Ataga’s account to another account.

The witness told Justice Yetunde Adesanya how the hand written statement of the first defendant was taken and how the second and third defendants were arrested.

Bamidele said that after the arrest of the first defendant, on June 23, 2021, her written statement was recorded on June 24.

The witness said that the defendant’s hand writing was not eligible, he advised her to make it eligible or write in capital letters.

He said that the defendant asked him to write for her and confessed to killing the deceased.

When the prosecution sought to admit the written statements of the defendant in evidence, Chidinma’s counsel, Mr Onwuka Egwu, objected to the admissibility of the document.

Egwu said that the defendant did not make the statements voluntarily.

However, the prosecution prayed the court to conduct a trial within trial.

At the resumed hearing, Bamidele, narrated how Chidinma was arrested and how she was interrogated.

During cross examination by the first defendant’s counsel, the witness said that he was in the second team that visited where Chidinma lived.

When asked about the day the first defendant was paraded, he said on June 24, 2021, at the State Command Ikeja.

Asked if he was aware that prior to the parade the first defendant and her foster father, Mr Onoh Ojukwu, had an interaction at the commissioner of police’s office, he said he was not aware.

He said: “Ojukwu was not kept in the cell, he was kept in protective room and he received and escorted visitors at will.

“In the course of him staying with us, we stumbled on an intelligence that there was an amorous relationship between the first defendant and her foster father.

“We also found out that the mother of the first defendant never approved the custody of the first defendant to Ojukwu.

“It was on this basis that we charged him to court alongside the three defendants at the Magistrates’ Court so that the court would decide if he can get bail, including one Babalola.”

The case was adjourned until Nov.10, for continuation of trial within trial.

Ojukwu was arraigned alongside two others on Oct. 12, 2021, on a nine-count charge over alleged murder of Ataga preferred against them by the Lagos State Government.

Ojukwu and Quadri are facing the first to eight counts bordering on conspiracy, murder, stabbing, forgery, making of bank statements and stealing.

The third defendant, Egbuchu, is facing the ninth count of receiving a stolen iPhone 7 belonging to the late Ataga.

Ojukwu and Quadri are also accused of conspiracy and murder of Ataga on June 15, 2021, by stabbing him several times with a knife on the neck and chest.

The incident took place at No 19, Adewale Oshin Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

November 8, 2022
How I k!lled Super TV CEO, Ataga – Chidinma Ojukwu confesses

A Lagos High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square on Tuesday watched the video recording of lifeless body of the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, Usifo Ataga, allegedly murdered on June 15, 2021.

An undergraduate, Chidinma Ojukwu, and one Adedapo Quadri are standing trial for Ataga’s murder.

They were arraigned alongside Ojukwu’s sister, Chioma Egbuchu, accused of stealing Ataga’s iPhone 7.

Ataga’s body was seen in the video lying on the ground facing up, with his hands spread. He was wearing a white singlet and a boxer’s pant stained with blood.

His head was close to a wall at the short service apartment where he was allegedly murdered. There was blood on the floor. Blood also stained the pillow and duvet on the bed in the room. In the same Compact Disc, a video showing Ojukwu narrating how she murdered Ataga was played.

In the video, Ojukwu narrated that she met Ataga through a friend. She said that, on June 13, 2021, the deceased called her and asked her to get a place for them to stay, and she got the short let service apartment where the deceased died.

She said: “After I got the place on Sunday, we were smoking loud, drinking, watching movies Then, I went to get food, the drug we were taking got finished and I ordered another one and went down stairs to get it from the delivery guy in the morning”.

The first defendant said that the above-mentioned incident occurred on June 14, 2021.

”Then, on Tuesday, we drank, smoke loud and I added Rophynol to his drink. We had sex, and I was on the bed and he was on a chair.

“Later, he started disturbing me for more sex. I was tired, and after struggling with him, he had his way and still wanted more.

“He was no longer himself, and I thought he was no more interested in sex, only for him to return to the bed to ask for more.

“I pushed him away which resulted in his hitting his head against a stool that had a glass, he had a cut on his leg and he became weak.”

Ojukwu said that she then took a knife and stabbed Ataga on the neck, ribs and stomach, so he would not be able to harm her.

“I tied his hands with a handkerchief. His blood was out and I was scared. I just packed everything, my clothes was also stained with blood, I just packed my things and left.

“I took the knife and handkerchief, and when I got home, I threw the knife and handkerchief away. Michael was a friend. I didn’t know him that deeply, and we didn’t talk regularly,” she said in the video clip.

When she was asked in the video if she was assisted in killing the deceased, Ojukwu said, “There was nobody that assisted me, I did it alone.”

When asked why she didn’t call for help, she said, ”Obviously I was scared, that was why I left.” She said that there was no motive behind her killing Ataga.

In the video, the ninth prosecution witness in the murder trial, DSP Olusegun Bamidele from the Intelligence and Tactical Unit of the State Criminal Investigating Department, Panti Yaba, was seen in interrogating Ojukwu at Panti.

He also asked her why she was using a foreign phone number and the motive behind her hiding her phone number.

Ojukwu said that she already had a foreign number registered on social media which she used to chat with people.

Asked why the owner of the service apartment didn’t know her identity, she said, “She didn’t ask for my identification.

“If she had said that the place was not available I would have left for another place.”

Ojukwu respondef to a question in the video about why she used Mary Johnson to open a bank account.

She said that she was attempting to open an account number which got blocked.

On an Identification card she procured, Ojukwu said, “It was someone that did it and you can’t see his face.

“I don’t know the contact of the person. I was just going through the internet and I saw a contact to call.”

She also said in the video that she opened a domiciliary account for depositing dollars.

At this point, prosecution counsel, Mrs Adenike Oluwafemi, reminded the witness of his evidence on May 10, when he said that he recovered some items from the defendant’s house.

Bamidele responded by listing the things he allegedly recovered from Ojukwu’s house.

He told Justice Yetunde Adesanya that he recovered a small pink purse containing two syringes, eight pieces of Rophynol tablets, two sanitary pads, a small perfume, jewellery, an iPhone belonging to first defendant, a note book, a diary and a HP laptop.

The witness listed the other items to include an identity card with the name: Ojukwu Chidinma Adora; Ataga’s driver’s licence, Ojukwu’s United Bank for Africa automated teller machine card and Super net identity card in Ataga’s name.

Other items, according to the witness, are three other cards that had the deceased’s name and six blank complimentary cards.

After identifying the items, Oluwafemi prayed the court to admit them in evidence.

However, Ojukwu’s counsel, Mr C.C. Ezebube, objected to the admissibility of the items.

Ezebube said that the custody of the items were not specified before the court – from the moment of recovery to that of tendering them before the court.

He said, “Some of the items could have been picked from anywhere, there is no originality as these items can be reproduced from anywhere.

Quadri’s counsel, Mr Babatunde Busari, and Egbuchu’s counsel, F.O. Ilesunmi, did not object to the tendering of the items in evidence.

In a ruling, the judge dismissed the objection and admitted the items in evidence.

Earlier, the witness showed the court some pictures of the apartment where Ataga was allegedly murdered.

The three defendants were arraigned on Oct., 12, 2021, on a nine-count charge brought against them by Lagos State Government.

Ojukwu and Quadri are facing the first to eight counts bordering on conspiracy, murder, stabbing, forgery, making of bank statements and stealing.

The third defendant, Egbuchu, is facing the ninth count – stealing of an iPhone 7 belonging to Ataga.

Ojukwu and Quadri are alleged to have conspired and murdered Ataga on June 15, 2021, by stabbing him several times with a knife on the neck and chest.

The alleged murder took place at 19, Adewale Oshin St., Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

The case was adjourned until Wednesday for continuation of trial.

October 12, 2022
Murdered Super TV CEO: GTB gives evidence in ongoing trial of Chidinma Ojukwu

Mr Okike Obaji, the Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) Account Officer to the murdered CEO of Super Television, Mr Usifo Ataga, on Thursday said that the bank placed a no-debit restriction on his account immediately they learnt of his death.

Obaji told a Lagos High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, that the bank learnt about Ataga’s death through the social media on June 17, 2021.

He made the disclosure while giving evidence at the ongoing trial of Chidinma Ojukwu, charged with Ataga’s murder.

Ojukwu is charged with murder, stealing and forgery alongside her sister, Chioma Egbuchu and one Adedapo Quadri.

At the resumed hearing on Thursday, the prosecution counsel, Mrs A. O. Oluwafemi, Deputy Director of Public Prosecution, led the witness, Obaji, in evidence.

Obaji said that the news about Ataga’s death was everywhere in the social media and so the bank acted to protect his assets.

“The bank placed a no-debit restriction on the account of Usifo Ataga, thereby ensuring that other transactions out of the account did not occur while waiting further confirmation for advice,” Obaji said.

When asked about the marked column in the bank statements of the deceased which he presented to the court, Obaji said that the marked remarks indicated the details of some specific transactions entries on June 16, 2021.

He said that on June 16, 2021 there was a debit transaction of N50,000 between Usifo Ataga and Mrs Nkechi Mogbo, via GTB.

Recall that Mogbo, the first prosecution witness, owns the apartment where Ataga was murdered.

During cross-examination, the witness said that the only bank transaction made by Ojukwu, was in June 2021 and the amount was N50,000.

Obaji said that the transactions were three in number and were made from Usifo Ataga’s account to Ojukwu’s, between June 13 and 14, 2021.

The witness said this when asked by the defendant counsel, Mr Onwuka Egwu, to mention how many transactions were in the name of Chidinma Adaora Ojukwu, between June 1 to June 14, 2021.

He said, “From the intervals you mentioned, the first transaction was on June 13 and it was N10,000, on June 14 there was a transaction of N25,000 and that same day (June 14), there was another transaction of N15,000, that was made”.

He also testified that on June 16, 2021, there were multiple transactions of N20,000 which were not debit transactions but credit.

Obaji said that from the remarks, the credit transactions were done through USSD bank codes.

Obaji also testified that there were two debit transactions of N101,200, made on June 16, 2021 to PayCom Digital Nigeria Ltd and Capricon Digital.

He said that the two debit transactions were made through Automated Teller Machine (ATM) on the same day and the same amount.

Obaji told the court that the transactions that were made to Chidinma Ojukwu were through ATM.

He explained that it was only a person who had the pin number that could carry out those transactions.

Earlier, Justice Yetunde Adesanya over ruled an objection made by Ojukwu’s counsel that the witness should not be allowed to give evidence in the case.

He argued that it would be an infringement to the fair hearing of the first defendant, Ojukwu.

After all the argument, the judge adjourned the case till May 9 for the continuation of trial.

The three defendants were arraigned on Oct. 12, 2021 on a nine-count charge preferred against them by the Lagos State Government.

Ojukwu and Quadri are facing the first to eight counts bordering on conspiracy, murder, stabbing, forgery, making of bank statements and stealing.

The third defendant, Egbuchu, is facing the ninth count – stealing of iPhone 7 belonging to the late Ataga.

Ojukwu and Quadri are alleged to have conspired and murdered Ataga on June 15, 2021 by stabbing him several times with a knife on the neck and chest.

The alleged murder took place at 19, Adewale Oshin Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

The duo were also accused of committing forgery by procuring and making bank account statements purported to have been made by the deceased.

May 5, 2022
Murder of Super TV CEO: Again, NCoS defends Ojukwu’s participation in beauty pageant

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) is sensitive to the plight of victims of crime and their families and will not indulge in any activity to assault or undermine their sensibilities.

The declaration was made in Abuja by its Public Relations Officer, Mr Francis Enobore.

He was reacting to misgivings in some quarters about the participation of a murder suspect, Miss Chidinma Ojukwu, who emerged winner in a beauty pageant, held by the service earlier in March.

The pageant was held at the Kirikiri, Lagos, custodial centre to mark the 2022 International Women’s Day.

Miss Ojukwu is standing trial as the prime suspect in the murder of Super TV Chief Executive Officer, Usifo Ataga in 2021.

Enobore stated that the NCoS identified with the Atagas in their moment of grief and would do everything within its power to assist the course of justice in unveiling those behind Ataga’s murder.

“The intendment of the pageant was not to glamourise or make heroes out of criminality, he stated.

He added that the pageant in question was one out of series of events at the ceremony that featured competition in dancing, singing, bead making and costume design among others.

“Aside creating a relaxed atmosphere for inmates, the prizes do not bestow any right or privilege on any of the contestants.

“Moreover, the event was for internal consumption within the custodial environment and never meant to be given wide publicity,’’ Enobore stated.

He stated also that prizes were won by other inmates equally facing charges for heinous crimes.

Enobore added that the Service believed that controlled social engagements did not interfere with trial of cases in court as activities within custodial centres had no bearing with evidence needed for cases to be tried.

“For the records, psychosocial engagements have traditionally been part of the Service’s inmates treatment regimens designed to provide emotional stability needed to promote total well-being of inmates and enhance safe custody,’’ he stated.

He recalled that several internationally-recognised artistes like Sam Okposu, Onyeka Onwenu, Alabi Pasuma, Denrele, Lamboginny, among others, staged lavish concerts at the Kirikiri and Ikoyi male custodial centres in the past to fete inmates.

“In year 2000 to be specific, a TV station covered a musical concert for male inmates at the Ikoyi Custodial Centre.

“At the concert, Dr Sola Fosudo, Head, Department of Art & Music, Lagos State University, praised the performance of inmates and commended NCoS personnel for their effort.

“These events, beyond the venial of entertaining criminals and suspects, provide avenues for generating actionable intelligence to address some knotty issues under investigation.

“The intelligence community has severally benefitted from this service,’’ Enobore stated.

He also addressed the issue of alleged squalor in male custodial centres and stated that females account for less than 1.5 per cent of the total national population of about 70,000 inmates of custodial centres.

“Therefore, overcrowding and the attendant chaos are exclusively found in male custodial centres due to pressure on infrastructure,’’ Enobore stated.

March 26, 2022
BREAKING: Murder trial of Usofor Ataga stalled

Trial of an undergraduate, Chidinma Ojukwu, for the murder of Mr Usifo Ataga, Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, was on Monday stalled due to absence of a prosecution witness.

Ojukwu is standing trial before a Lagos High Court sitting at the Tarfa Tafawa Balewa Square.

She is charged with murder, stealing and forgery alongside her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, and one Adedapo Quadri.

On Monday, prosecution counsel, Mrs A. O. Oluwafemi, also Deputy Director of Lagos State Directorate Public Prosecutions, told the court that a prosecution witness, billed to testify, was not in court.

She prayed that earlier dates for continuation of hearing of the case be vacated to enable prosecution to get toxicology and Deoxyribonucleic Acid results needed for the trial.

Oluwafemi said the results were not available yet, adding that the next witness would be examined with those documents.

Justice Yetunde Adesanya consequently vacated the dates, and adjourned the proceedings until April 25 for the continuation of trial.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that at the last adjourned date, Feb. 17, an Investigative Police Officer, Insp Ibrahim Isaka, gave evidence.

Isiaka, the sixth prosecution witness, narrated how police allegedly discovered Usifo Ataga in the pool of his own blood on June 16, 2021.

The witness said that the police consequently called the Emergency Unit at Yaba General Hospital and evacuated Ataga’s corpse.

He told the court that on June 16, 2021, a case of murder was reported at his place of work, Maroko Police Station.

Isiaka testified that at 11:30 p.m. one Mrs Nkechi Mogbo came to the station and reported that a body was discovered at her short-service facility where people lodged.

He testified that Mogbo narrated to the police that the security guard at the facility informed her that the body of a man who lodged in the facility was discovered lying in the pool of his blood.

The witness said that Mogbo also told the police that a cleaner in the facility went to clean the apartment but there was no response from the people who lodged there.

He said that the security guard and the cleaner forcefully opened the door and discovered Ataga in a pool of blood.

The witness said the police, including the divisional police officer and the divisional crime officer, went to the crime scene.

Isiaka said that the police found some clothes as well as a travelling bag in the apartment and collected the items for investigation.

The three defendants were arraigned on Oct. 12 on a nine-count charge preferred by Lagos State Government.

Ojukwu and Quadri are facing the first to eight counts bordering on conspiracy, murder, stabbing, forgery, making of bank statements and stealing.

The third defendant, Egbuchu, is facing the ninth count – stealing of iPhone 7 belonging to the late Ataga.

Ojukwu and Quadri are alleged to have conspired and murdered Ataga on June 15, 2021, by stabbing him several times with a knife on the neck and chest.

The alleged murder took place at No. 19, Adewale Oshin St., Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

The duo was also accused of committing forgery by procuring and making bank account statements purported to have been made by the deceased.

February 21, 2022
How Super TV boss was stabbed 7 times on the neck – Witness

Co-founder of Super Network Limited (owners of Super TV), Mr. Raman Obiorah Saliu, on Monday, told a Lagos High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) that a total of seven multiple stabs was found on the neck of the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, Usifo Ataga.

Testifying in the trial of a 300 level Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos, Chidinma Ojukwu, who is suspected to have killed Ataga, Saliu said apart from the stabs on Ataga’s neck, there was one to the stomach and several on the two sides of the ribs and the left ventricular to the chest.
Saliu, who broke down in tears while testifying before Justice Yetunde Adesanya, said apart from the stabs on Ataga’s neck, there was one to the stomach and several on the two sides of the ribs and the left ventricular to the chest.

Led in evidence by the Deputy Director of Public Prosecution, Mrs Adenike Oluwafemi, Saliu broke down in tears while testifying before Justice Yetunde Adesanya.

According to Saliu, the deceased was tied up, on both hands and legs like a ram waiting to be slaughtered.

Saliu, who is also a network engineer, programmer, and developer, testified as the fifth prosecution witness in the case. He told the court that he met the late Usifo Ataga 10 years ago in the course of building the Super TV App.

He explained that he was introduced to Ataga by a friend, Mr Bisi Osuneye, who is also late. He added that when Ataga came into the project as an investor, he became a co-founder by adding so many ideas and they started working on the project until his demise last year June.

The witness also stated that as Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, Ataga usually convene management meetings on Mondays and Executive (EXCO) meetings on Tuesdays and they sometimes meet virtually using Microsoft link.

HOW I BECAME AWARE OF ATAGA’S DEATH

Narrating how he came to hear about his death, Saliu said that he got a call from Ataga on Monday 14, June 2021, that he was having stomach pain and he subsequently advised the Super TV boss to take his drugs and get some rest.
He said that much later, he needed to reach Ataga, in relation to some tasks and so he started to call him the next day from about 11am.

Saliu narrated, “I started calling him, he didn’t pick his calls neither did he return my message. I was surprised because the only thing he wants to hear is the billing App, with MTN, which is working now.

“Michael (Ataga) didn’t pick his calls, everybody started reaching out to me because the only way they can get him is through me and the only way they can reach me is through him; he still did not pick up my calls, this was about 3:30pm, on June 15, 2021.

“Then I got a WhatsApp message from him, after reading the message, I said to myself this is not Michael, talking to me. The message read ” I saw your missed call, I took some drugs that made me sleeping.’ The construction of that message was not Michael, because Michael was very fluent in English.

“I knew that was not Micheal’s typing and it was someone else but I sent him a screenshot of the billing system in the Super TV App, that it’s working and his response to me was ok, great, that was when I knew something was happening because Michael will jump up, pick up his phone, and call me immediately. So, I went outside to take fresh air and I started thinking where he could have been now that he is not picking up my calls.

“I called Gambo, he is a driver and personal assistant (PA) to Michael. I asked him, did you receive any call from Micheal? He said no that he has also been calling him too because he needed to pick up his clothes from the laundry that he was traveling with to Abuja.

“Gambo said he got a WhatsApp message, that was between 5 to 6pm, on June 15, 2021, then we started thinking of what could have happened to him. Another of Micheal’s friend, Okwuedo, who lives with us at Victoria Garden City (VGC), also asked of his whereabouts, I told him I got a WhatsApp message from Michael. So, Okwuedo said let him see the message, immediately he saw it, he said this is not Michael’s typing.

“Okwuedo and Gambo went to few places where they thought he could be. So, I went back to the office and on Wednesday 16, June 2021, I asked Gambo if they found him, he said no. I then called his cook at Banana Island, that was when I knew that he left home since Sunday 13, June 2021.

“I was keeping calm because he was going to Abuja on Thursday for his 50th birthday. I told myself that wherever he was, I knew that he would come and meet me, and we would go to the airport, stay with the girls (Michael’s daughters) and his wife for his 50th birthday. They were actually waiting for him; they were planning a surprise birthday party for him.

“So, I started suspecting something was wrong because he was supposed to come to VGC on the 15th, but he didn’t. I had to raise an alarm that I don’t know where Michael was.

“My last WhatsApp message to Michael on June 16, 2021, was at 10:30am and the message read ‘Bro, where are you? I am worried, my BP is rising.” The message was read, no response, I started getting calls from his family wanting to wish him happy 50th birthday.

“Calls started coming in, I did not really know what to say. How can I say I’m looking for a 50-year-old man? To me, it didn’t make any sense. I wanted to go and make a complaint at the VGC police station of a missing person, when at about 6:33 to 6:35am on Thursday, 17 June 2021, I got a call from Mrs Brenda Ataga, who happens to be his wife and the wife said where is Usifo?

“I had to tell her the truth that I have been looking for Michael since Tuesday. She was a bit upset with me that I was looking for someone since on Tuesday and I did nothing about it. I tried to explain to her that I was trying to make a complaint, 10 minutes later she called back and said Michael’s phones were traced to the University of Lagos, UNILAG Guest House.

“I didn’t take my bath; I just grabbed my car key and I started driving to UNILAG. A friend called me, and I told him I was driving to UNILAG. He asked how I knew Usifo was in UNILAG, I mentioned that the information came from Brenda.

“Mrs Brenda Ataga also called me and said there is a team of policemen that will meet me at UNILAG, to conduct the search. I got to UNILAG before them, so I went to the security and told them I was looking for a black Range Rover and they directed me to the guest house.

“The police joined me with two of his friends and staff (member) from my office. Mrs Ataga called me and was giving me the GPS coordinate from where the direction of the phone is. While going through Yaba, I got a call from our GTBank account officer, whom I asked to help me trace Michael’s transactions, so that I can know where exactly he is.

“He told me that Michael made transactions on Sunday and Monday. The Sunday transaction was to a lady Mrs Nkechi Mogbo, the owner of the service apartment (where the deceased was murdered). The account officer also said that the transaction that was made on Monday was to a Sterling Bank with the name Chidinma Ojukwu Adora. The account officer asked me what was happening, I said today is his birthday and I have been looking for him since Tuesday.

“So, I told him that since the owner of the service apartment uses GTB, he should send me her number, and he did. The police said I should give the number to Brenda so that it will not distract from our search of Michael.

“Only for Brenda to later call and tell me that Michael is dead. I fainted; it took the police to resuscitate me. When I was a bit okay, I called her and asked how? She said she called the number I sent to her, and the owner of the apartment said somebody was murdered that she should show his means of Identification if it was the person we were looking for.

“So, Brenda shared her husband’s picture to the woman and the owner of the service apartment said this person was murdered here and she is on her way to the police station at Maroko, so Brenda asked me to meet Mrs Nkechi Mogbo, at Panti.

“I met her with some of Michael’s friends at Panti, and we went to the scene of the incident where Michael was murdered. I didn’t want to believe that Michael was dead, I saw Michael’s belongings that the police brought out and we were not allowed inside.

“When I got to the mortuary, I saw Michael’s body, Michael was killed like a chicken, I saw a very big cut at the back of his neck. The wickedness, for me, is that the day I was with Michael’s corpse; they were still taking money from his account, that was 17 June 2021, exactly the day he was 50 years old.

“There were subsequent USSD transactions on his account until Brenda and I decided to close the account. I started tracking Chidinma, I started looking at Michael’s calls from 9mobile and MTN, Chidinma was calling him with a WhatsApp number.

“I traced the money that was transferred by Michael to Chidinma’s Sterling Bank and I supplied all the information to the police at Panti. Around 1am, on June 23, 2021, on a Wednesday, I got a message from Panti, that Chidinma has been arrested.

“Michael’s iPhone came with an original Apple pouch, when the police recovered the iPhone from Chidinma, it was replaced with a N1000 pouch; Michael’s laptop was also recovered. There were two iPhones, one iPhone 11 and one iPhone 7 or 8, was also recovered; I was told by the police that she gave the other iPhone to her sister,” Saliu recounted as he broke down in tears.

He further stated that there was a restaurant at Lekki – Angle Villa Restaurant that the deceased made a transaction on June 13.

“I shared the information with Michael’s friends, and they proceeded to Angle Villa, to confirm if a transaction was actually made. They confirmed that Michael came so we requested CCTV footage to know if he went alone, but we discovered that he came with Chidinma.

“The police at Panti took the video and I was surprised to see the CCTV footage all over the social media.”
During cross-examination by the counsel to Chidinma, Onwuka Egwu, the witness said he had no idea who handed the CCTV footage video to the police.

He said that the CCTV footage was trending prior to the arrest of Chidinma.

Justice Adesanya, in her ruling, adjourned until February 17 for the continuation of the trial.

February 15, 2022
Super TV CEO, Ataga’s body found in mortuary on birthday

Mr Rotimi Albert, a prosecution witness in the trial of Chidinma Ojukwu charged with murder of Super TV Chief Executive Officer, Usifo Ataga, has said that Ataga’s family found his body in a mortuary on his birthday.

Albert testified on Tuesday as the fourth prosecution witness.

He gave evidence before a Lagos High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square.

He narrated how Ataga’s family and friends allegedly searched for him and found his body in a mortuary.

Ojukwu, an undergraduate, is facing trial alongside her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, and one Adedapo Quadri.

Albert, who introduced himself as a longtime schoolmate and friend of Ataga, said he wanted to call him on June 17, his birthday, to send birthday wishes to him.

Albert said that a friend had called him on June 16 and asked if he had seen or heard from Ataga.

He said that the friend told him on phone that no one had heard from Ataga since June 13.

The witness said he tried calling the deceased on phone, adding that his phone rang but there was no answer so he sent a WhatsApp message which delivered.

Albert said he observed that the deceased’s phone was active on WhatsApp.

“I was surprised when he didn’t return my calls nor reply my messages.

“I started calling other friends to ask if anyone had seen him; even his siblings abroad called me to ask about his whereabouts. I told them I was also worried.

“His wife and other family members were also looking for him because they were supposed to celebrate his birthday with him in Abuja,” he said.

The witness told the court that the wife of the deceased reported to the police about the worry.

He said that the phone of the deceased was tracked and it was noticed that the phone was last used at the University of Lagos’s Guest House.

According to him, on June 17, he and a friend went to the guest house to search for Ataga’s vehicle but the vehicle was not there.

He said that phone tracker also indicated that the phone was used at Aladimeji area of Lagos.

Albert said the tracking became difficult because the movement kept changing.

“In the course of all these, we got a call that Usifo is deceased and in a mortuary.

“We therefore went to Panti Police Station; there, we found out that the police had already visited the crime scene.

“After going to the crime scene, the police told us to go to the mortuary to identify the body; we went and confirmed it was Usifo Ataga.

“At the mortuary, I observed that he was assaulted with multiple stabbed wounds on his neck, abdomen, his side and leg.

“I also observed that his ribs had rope marks and deep indentations. That was how I got to know that my friend is deceased,” the witness said.

The witness was led in evidence by the Lagos State Director for Public Prosecutions, Mrs Adeyinka Adeyemi.

After his examination-in-chief, the witness was cross-examined by Ojukwu’s counsel, Mr Onwuka Egwu, and he said he was not the one checking and tracking the deceased’s phone and his bank transactions but a mutual friend.

The witness said that he made a statement at the police station which was tendered by defence counsel, and it was admitted as evidence.

Counsel to the second defendant (Quadri) and third defendant (Egbuchu), Mr Babatunde Busari and Mr A. O. Ogunsanya, respectively, said they did not have any questions for the witness.

The prosecutor, however, asked for an adjournment to enable him to bring more evidence.

Justice Yetunde Adesanya, consequently, adjourned the case until Feb. 14 for continuation of trial.

NAN reports that the three defendants were arraigned on Oct. 12 on a nine-count charge preferred by Lagos State Government.

Ojukwu and Quadri are facing the first to eight counts bordering on conspiracy, murder, stabbing, forgery, making of bank statements and stealing.

Egbuchu is facing the ninth count of stealing iPhone 7 belonging to Ataga.

The first and second defendants were alleged to have conspired and murdered Ataga on June 15, by stabbing him severally with a knife on the neck and chest.

The alleged murder took place at No. 19, Adewale Oshin St., Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

The duo was also accused of committing forgery by procuring and making bank account statements purported to have been made by the deceased.

November 30, 2021
REVEALED: Father of alleged killer of Super TV CEO is her sugar daddy, Ataga’s family alleges

…expresses fear over VIP treatment of Chidinma

…raises alarm that one of the key suspects has been granted bail

The family of Super TV CEO, Usifo Ataga, has alleged that the “man claiming to be Chidinma’s father wasn’t her father but her sugar daddy”.

It could be recalled that Chidinma Ojukwu was arrested for allegedly killing the Super TV CEO at a service apartment in Lekki area of Lagos. Ataga was found lying in the pool of his own blood.

Magistrate Mrs Adeola Adedayo of the Chief Magistrates’ Court in Yaba has remanded Chidinma for 30 days pending legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).

However, the family of the deceased (Usifo Ataga) were displeased by the handling of the matter by the police.

According to them, “We were shocked to read from the media that she was arraigned in court. The Lagos State Police Command didn’t inform us at all.

The other defendants including the man claiming to be Chidinma’s father wasn’t her father but her sugar daddy. So the police lied about that.

“We were also shocked that Chidinma reportedly left the court premises without handcuffs in an Uber ride.”

August 13, 2021