A Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Yaba, Lagos, has ordered 21-year-old Chidinma Ojukwu, the alleged killer of Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, Usifo Ataga, to be remanded in prison.
Chidinma, a 300 level Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos, was remanded alongside one Adedapo Quadri on Monday, August 9, 2021.
Magistrate Mrs Adeola Adedayo remanded her for 30 days in the first instant, pending the legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).
She, however, adjourned the case until September 5 for mention.
Ajifor had told the court that the defendants allegedly committed the offences on June 16, at No. 19, Adewale Oshin St., Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
He alleged that Ojukwu and Quadri, conspired to kill Ataga and stole his phones, laptop and cash valued at N3.8m.
On arraignment on Monday, the police had brought Ojukwu, Quadri and five other defendants to court.
The other five defendants are Obafemi Disu, 42; Chioma Egbuchi, 28; Onoh Ojukwu, 57; Ifeoluwa Olowu, 24 and Olutayo Abayomi, 23.
But the magistrate ruled that the prosecution must separate the charge of Ojukwu and Quadri from the other five defendants before arraignment.
Adedayo said Ojukwu and Quadri should be arraigned for conspiracy, murder and stealing while others should be rearranged for allegedly receiving stolen property, resisting public officers and attempting to pervert justice.
The prosecution separated the charges and appealed to the court to dock the other five defendants before the end of Monday’s sitting.
Also present was Onoh Ojukwu, the father of murder suspect, Chidinma for alleged obstruction of justice and failing to report a crime to the law enforcement agencies.
Ojukwu, 57, and Babalola Disu, 42, are to face trial on charges of obstructing the police from performing their duties and failing to report a crime to the police
The Prosecutor, Mr Cyril Ejiofor, from the State Criminal Investigative and Intelligence Department, Panti, told the court that Ojukwu had blocked the police from arresting his daughter, Chidinma, when the law caught up with her.
He added that the second defendant, Disu, had also failed to report the death of Ataga to the police.
Disu was the manager of Airbnb apartment in Lekki 1, where Ataga was found dead.
“The other three defendants were also alleged to have dishonestly received a MacBook valued at N2.5 million and an iPhone 7 worth N150,000 belonging to the deceased,” he said.
He added that the offences contravened Sections 97, 117, 328 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Adeola Adedayo, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N1million with two sureties each in like sum.
She noted that the sureties must make a deposit of N20,000 each into the coffers of the Chief registrar.
Recall that Chidinma was arrested in June 2021 for allegedly murdering Ataga in a service apartment in Lekki area of Lagos State.
She confessed to stabbing Usifo with a knife under the influence of alcohol and withdrawing N380,000 from the victim’s account with his ATM card. She, however, backtracked later in a video, absolving herself from the murder.
Usifo, aged 50, was buried on July 30 in a low-key ceremony attended by his family members, including his wife, and friends.
