Usifo Ataga murder: Chidinma’s trial stalled over absence of witness

The trial of undergraduate. Chidinma Ojukwu, who is the alleged murder suspect of Usifo Ataga, Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, was stalled on Monday, due to the absence of a prosecution witness.

Miss Ojukwu is standing trial before a Lagos High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS).

The defendant, alongside her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, and one Adedapo Quadri, are facing a nine count charge of murder, stealing and forgery.

At resumed hearing of the case, the prosecution counsel, Adenike Oluwafemi, who’s the Deputy Director of Lagos State Directorate Public Prosecutions, told the court that their witness was not in court.

She applied to the court that the earlier dates fixed for the hearing of the case be vacated to enable the prosecution get the Toxicology and DNA results needed for the trial.

She said the results were not available yet, adding that the next witness would be examined with those documents.

Justice Yetunde Adesanya, however, vacated all the dates earlier fixed and adjourned next proceeding until April 25 for continuation of trial.

The three defendants were arraigned on October 12, 2021 on a nine-count charge preferred against them by Lagos State Government.

Miss Ojukwu and Mr Quadri are facing the first to eight counts bordering on conspiracy, murder, stabbing, forgery, making of bank statements and stealing.

The third defendant, miss Egbuchu, is facing the ninth count of stealing iPhone 7 belonging to the late Ataga.

The first and second defendants were alleged to have conspired and murdered Mr Ataga on June 15, 2021, by stabbing him severally with a knife on the neck and chest.

The alleged murder took place at No. 19, Adewale Oshin Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

The duo was also accused of committing forgery by procuring and making bank account statements purported to have been made by the deceased.