Chidinma said that she went out, came back and saw Ataga on the floor of an apartment in which she stayed with him, and then quickly picked up her things and left.
By Jeffrey Agbo
The trial of Chidinma Ojukwu over the alleged murder of the chief executive officer of Super TV, Usifo Ataga, could not continue on Tuesday due to the absence of a prosecution witness.
Chidinma is accused of stealing, forgery and killing Ataga. Also facing trial before a Lagos High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square alongside Chidinma are her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, and a man, Adedapo Quadri.
Lagos State Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions (DDPP), A. O. Oluwafemi, told the court that the case was for continuation of trial.
She, however, said that the ninth prosecution witness, DSP Olusegun Bamidele, who had not finished his evidence, was absent in court.
According to the DDPP, the witness sent a text message informing her that he was drenched by rain and unable to get transportation to the court.
She apologised for the witness’s absence.
Counsel to the defendants, Onwuka Egwu, Babatunde Busari and M. A. Abia-Bassey, said that the prosecution counsel had earlier informed them of the development.
They did not object to the adjournment of the case.
Justice Yetunde Adesanya consequently adjourned the trial until October 27.
At the last proceedings, on October 18, a recorded video footage of Chidinma’s confessional statement was played in court.
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In the video, Chidinma, the first defendant in the case, denied killing Ataga.
She said that she did not know who killed him.
Chidinma said that she went out, came back and saw Ataga on the floor of an apartment in which she stayed with him, and then quickly picked up her things and left.
Chidinma said in the video that she left because she was scared.
However, on October 11, when the video recording was first played, it showed the lifeless body of Ataga and showed Chidinma admitting to killing him.
Chidinma, an undergraduate of the University of Lagos, was arraigned alongside Quadri and Egbuchu on October 12, 2021, on a nine-count charge.
Chidinma 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 Ataga.
Chidinma 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 incident took place at No. 19, Adewale Oshin St., Lekki Phase 1, Lagos State.