Witness says Chidinma, her foster father aren’t honest about Ataga’s d*ath

Olusegun Bamidele, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), has stated that Chidinma Ojukwu, the alleged killer of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Super TV, Usifo Ataga, and her foster father, Onoh Ojukwu, are not being honest on their accounts of the incident.

Bamidele, who is serving with the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Yaba, made this submission on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, while being cross-examined by Chidinma’s lawyer, Onwuka Egwu, during trial within trial at a Lagos High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS).

Chidinma, a Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, is standing trial over the alleged murder of Ataga.

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

Serving as the ninth prosecution witness, Bamidele told the court that Chidinma transferred the sum of N5 million from Ataga’s account to another account, adding that following the arrest of the first defendant on June 23, 2021, her statement was recorded on June 24, where she confessed to killing Ataga.

Bamidele recalled that when the prosecution sought to admit the statement in evidence, Chidinma’s counsel, Egwu, however, refused, saying she did not make the statement voluntarily.

When asked during cross examination by the first defendant’s lawyer to confirm that four people were arrested when his team visited 25, Akinwumi Street, Alagomeji, Yaba, he denied, saying three people were arrested.

He said, “That night on June 23, 2021, the first team that visited came back with three people: the first defendant, Chidinma Ojukwu; her foster father, Onoh Ojukwu; and an underaged girl. Those were the people I saw. I was in the second team that visited the address that night.”

Asked the day the first defendant was paraded at the police command, Ikeja, he said on June 24.

“Ojukwu was not kept in the cell; he was kept in a protective room and he received and escorted visitors at will.

“In the course of him staying with us, we stumbled on intelligence that there was an amorous relationship between the first defendant and her foster father. That gave the impetus that Mr Ojukwu was not sincere and that he was aware of the offence that she is standing trial for today. That she (Chidinma) was concealing vital information.

“We also established that the mother of the first defendant never approved the custody of the first defendant to Ojukwu and it was on this basis that we charged him to court alongside three defendants at the magistrate’s court so that the court could decide if he could get bail, including one Babalola.”

The case has, however, been adjourned till Thursday, November 10, for continuation of the trial within trial.