By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
The stage is finally set for the trial of Miss Chidinma Ojukwu, a Mass Communications student of the University of Lagos, and four others, for their alleged roles in the murder of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Super TV, Usifo Ataga.
The case, which has been at the Magistrate Court, will be transferred to a High Court for prosecution.
This was made known by a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
Chief Magistrate Adeola Adedayo said the decision followed an August 20 legal advice from the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) which recommended the trial of Miss Ojukwu and four others for Ataga’s death.
Mrs. Adedayo said the legal advice signed off by Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution, Mrs. Olayinka Adeyemi, cleared 11 suspects and recommended that they should be released.
Apart from Chidinma Ojukwu, others recommended for trial include Adedapo Quadri and Egbuchu Chioma.
The Magistrate Court had remanded Chidinma Ojukwu in prison for 30 on Monday, August 9, the day the Lagos State Police Command brought her before the court.
She was arraigned alongside two other suspects.
Mrs. Adedayo ruled that she be remanded in prison for the stipulated days pending legal advice from the director of public prosecution (DPP).
Ataga was stabbed to death and left in the pool of his own blood inside a Lagos hotel on June 15.
Chidinma was thereafter arrested in connection with the murder.
The 21-year-old student had earlier confessed to stabbing Ataga “twice on the neck side,” alleging that the businessman forcefully had sex with her.
“I threw the knife to the bed and he was going for it but I also went for it. He dragged the knife with me and it broke and he fell on the floor,” she had said.
But Chidinma recanted her previous confession that she killed the Super TV CEO.
“I don’t know what happened when I left the room to buy food. Because of what I did after by not alerting the police and also withdrawing money from his account, I feel guilty for what happened but I did not kill him,” Chidinma said.
Hakeem Odumosu, Lagos commissioner of police, later announced that more suspects had been arrested in the case.