Olusegun Bamidele, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, told a Lagos High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square on Tuesday that Chidinma Ojukwu, the alleged killer of Super TV Chief Executive Officer Usifo Ataga, and her foster father, Onoh Ojukwu, did not tell the police the truth about the incident.
Bamidele, who works with the State Criminal Investigation Department’s Homicide Section in Yaba, revealed this while being cross-examined by Chidinma’s lawyer, Mr Onwuka Egwu, during a trial within a trial.
Chidinma, a University of Lagos, Akoka, 300-level Mass Communication student, is on trial for the alleged murder of Ataga.
She is also accused of stealing and forgery, along with Adedapo Quadri and her sister, Chioma Egbuchu.
On the most recent adjourned date, Bamidele, the ninth prosecution witness, told the court how Chidinma transferred N5m from Ataga’s account to another account on June 15, 2021.
Bamidele stated that her statement was recorded on June 24, 2021, following the arrest of the first defendant on June 23, 2021, and that she confessed to killing Ataga.
When the prosecution sought to introduce the statement into evidence, Chidinma’s counsel, Egwu, refused, claiming that the statement was not made voluntarily.
The prosecutor then requested that the court hold a trial within a trial for Chidinma.
As a result, Justice Yetunde Adesanya postponed the case until November 8 for a trial within a trial.
T. E. Onilaja, the Lagos State prosecuting counsel, announced his appearance at the case’s resumed hearing on Tuesday, while Egwu also announced his appearance for the first defendant.
Bamidele, who testified in the trial within a trial, described how Chidinma was arrested and interrogated.
When the first defendant’s lawyer asked him during cross examination whether four people were arrested when his team visited 25, Akinwumi Street, Alagomeji, Yaba, he denied, saying three people were arrested.
“That night, on June 23, 2021, the first team that visited returned with three people: the first defendant, Chidinma Ojukwu; her foster father, Onoh Ojukwu; and an underage girl,” he said. Those were the people I noticed. “I was part of the second team that went to the address that night.”
When asked when the first defendant was paraded at the Ikeja Police Command, he said June 24.
When asked if he was aware that the first defendant and her foster father had an interaction with the Commissioner of Police at his office prior to the parade, he stated that he was not.
When asked to confirm that Mr Ojukwu was re-arrested on July 25 and detained until August 19, 2021, he said yes.
When asked what Mr Ojukwu and a 10-year-old girl were doing in police custody, the witness stated that Ojukwu expressed regret for what Chidinma did and offered to help with the investigation.
“Mr Ojukwu was not kept in the cell; he was kept in a protective room and received and escorted visitors at will,” he explained.
“During his stay with us, we discovered evidence of an amorous relationship between the first defendant and her foster father.” This provided evidence that Mr Ojukwu was not sincere and was aware of the offense for which she is on trial today. That she (Chidinma) was withholding crucial information.
“We also established that the first defendant’s mother never approved the first defendant’s custody 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 was continued until November 10 for trial within trial.
