The trial of Chidinma Ojukwu, a 300-level Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos, accused of murdering Super TV’s Chief Executive Officer, Usifo Ataga, was stalled today at the Lagos State High Court, sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square Annex.
Defence counsels complained that the statements contained in the proof of evidence served on them were all unclear and that the audio interviews of the defendants were also inaudible.
They stated that the defendants had a right to clearer statements and audible video interviews as it would enable them to prepare their defence adequately.
Justice Yetunde Adesanya, in her ruling, directed the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) to provide clearer statements and audible copies of the interviews to all the defence counsels before the end of the day.
She further adjourned the matter to November 11, 15, 16, 17, 26 and 30 for trial.
Earlier, A.O. Adeyemi, had entered appearance for the prosecution from the DPP, while Onwuka Egbu, Babatunde Busari and A.O. Ogunsanya had appeared for the first to third defendants.
Adeyemi told the court that she had two witnesses in court and was ready to begin trial, but Egwu informed the court that he had a pending application before the court that was ripe for hearing.
He said in his application, he was praying for more legible statements, as the ones contained in the proof of evidence the prosecution served him were indecipherable.
Counsel to the second defendant, Busari, aligned with the submission of the first defence counsel and further complained that the video recordings of the interviews were not served on him.
On his part, counsel to the third defendant, Ogunsanya, from the office of the Public Defender (OPD), told the court that the video interviews of the defendants that were served on him were not audible.
Thereby aligning with previous submissions that the statements he was served were also not clear.
The defence counsels submitted that they needed all the documents to enable them prepare for the trial adequately.
Adeyemi told the court that she would send soft copies of all the proof of evidence to each defence counsels’ email before the end of the day.
At the last sitting in October, Ojukwu, her co-accused Adebayo Quadri and one Chioma Egbuchu pleaded not guilty to the nine-count charge.
The first two defendants, Chidinma Ojukwu and Adedapo Quadri, are facing the first eight counts on the charge bordering on conspiracy, murder, stabbing, forgery, making of bank statements and stealing.
The third defendant, who is the first defendant’s sister, Chioma Egbuchu, is facing the ninth count charge of stealing an iPhone 7, phone, belonging to the late Ataga.
At the last hearing, Chidinma Ojukwu had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Super TV CEO, Usifo Ataga.
The 22-year-old did so on Tuesday when she and one Adedapo Quadri, who are the key suspects in the murder case were arraigned before Justice Yetunde Adesanya of the Lagos State High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square.
Both suspects pleaded not guilty to eight counts bordering on the offences of murder, forgery and stealing.
Chidinma’s sister, Egbuchu Chioma, was also arraigned, as an iPhone 7 belonging to the late Ataga, was said to have been recovered from her.
Chioma, however, pleaded not guilty to the 9th count of being in possession of the stolen property.
They are being prosecuted by the Lagos State Department of Public Prosecution, Olayinka Adeyemi.
A prison official guides Chidinma through a passageway of the Lagos High Court as her trial over the murder of Super TV CEO, Usifo Ataga, commences.
A U-turn
When Chidinma was arrested on June 24, she had initially admitted to killing Usifo after his lifeless body was found in a pool of blood with multiple stab wounds at a hotel in the Lekki area of Lagos.
But contrary to her initial statements that she had stabbed Ataga in self-defense, the 22-year-old later in an interview in July, denied having anything to do with his death.
She explained that while they were lodged together in the short-let apartment, she briefly stepped out to buy some things only to return to his lifeless body.
“As I was leaving the apartment, he stood up to lock the door. When I came back, I knocked but there was no response. Then I opened the door and realized it wasn’t locked,” Chidinma said.
“The duvet was on the floor and pillows. The couch was facing the door and the bed was stained with blood and the floor where he was. Music was on, the TV was on. The room was in disarray like someone broke in.
“Then I saw him on the floor, I didn’t know what to do. I was afraid. I thought if I raised an alarm I would be arrested because we were the only people in the room”.
Also speaking in the interview, a cousin of the deceased said the state in which he later found the corpse was very questionable. According to him, the extent of the stab wounds as well as the way Ataga’s hands were tied, was so bad that the act could not have been done by Chidinma alone.
She, on the other hand, claimed that the only reason she initially took responsibility for the incident was that it was just both of them in the room and she felt that no one would believe her story.
“I never had anything to do with his death. I didn’t involve anybody. I don’t know who must have come into the apartment. Definitely, somebody did but I don’t know who the person is. I don’t know what happened when I left to buy food,” she said.