Super TV CEO’s murder: How I discovered victim’s corpse — Witness

Published

2 years ago

November 17, 2021

The security guard at the apartment where Usifo Ataga, Super TV Chief Executive Officer, was allegedly murdered, on Tuesday said he was the person who discovered the corpse of the victim.

The security guard, Abubakar Mohammed, said this while testifying before a Lagos High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square.

Mohammed gave evidence as the second prosecution witness in the trial of an undergraduate, Chidinma Ojukwu (first defendant), and two others, for Ataga’s murder.

Ojukwu is facing trial along with her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, and one Adedapo Quadri.

At the resumed hearing, the witness narrated to the court how the defendant lodged at the apartment where he worked as security man on Sunday June 13.

According to him, his employer, Nkechi Mogbo, informed him of a client who had contacted her for an apartment.

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He said when the defendant showed up, he took her to inspect the place and later gave her the keys to the apartment when his employer gave him the instructions to do so.

Mohammed further narrated how Usifo Ataga (victim) came to the apartment later in the night the same June 13.

The witness said the victim drove in, in a dark coloured Range Rover SUV and was allowed into the premises when the defendant came out of the gate and said “he is my person”.

He also said that the defendant and the victim went out that night and came back at about 11:30p.m.

“The defendant asked me to open the gate so that the victim would park his vehicle inside the premises which I did.

“On Tuesday night by 8p.m., the defendant came out and entered an Uber car and went out. I stayed outside till 12a.m, waiting for her to return but she didn’t, so I went to bed.

“On Wednesday, the vehicle that collects refuse came so I told the cleaner (named Confidence) to bring out all the dustbin from the apartment.

“Confidence came back and told me that the door at the defendant’s apartment was open, I went there, called out the man (victim) but there was no answer.

“I tried to push the door but something was blocking it, I peeped through the narrow opening and saw the victim’s dead body on the floor.

“My employer called me talking about another client whose rent had expired, I then told her about the incident,” the witness narrated.

The witness also narrated how his employer informed the police and how he was taken to the police station to make his statements.

He also told the court that while the defendant was at the apartment, she called him one night with a new number and not the private number she usually called with.

Mohammed said when the body was discovered, he stored that particular number on his phone and checked it on WhatsApp.

The witness said he discovered that the profile picture on that phone was the defendant’s own, he screen shot the picture.

According to him, he changed his own profile picture and sent a WhatsApp message to the defendant, after which the defendant removed her profile picture.

Mohammed said he gave the information to his employer.

He also narrated how the defendant called him with a private number asking him about the victim’s car.

Mohammed said: “Immediately I noticed she was the one calling, I asked why she had not returned since she went out, she answered that she went for a meeting and would be back”.

Mohammed was led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, Adeyinka Adeyemi, who is the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

However, due to time, the Judge, Justice Yetunde Adesanya, adjourned the case until Wednesday for cross examination.

NAN reports that the three defendants were arraigned on Oct. 12 on nine counts preferred against them by Lagos State Government.

Ojukwu 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 stealing iPhone 7 belonging to the late Ataga.

The first and second defendants were alleged to have conspired and murdered 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 St., Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

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

The Eagle

Related Topics:corpse Featured Murder Super TV CEO victim witness

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Delta lady dies after 2 friends pushed her into pot of boiling pepper

Published

5 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Trends Admin

Roseline

Delta lady dies after 2 friends pushed her into pot of boiling pepper

A Nigerian man identified as Israel Joe, has revealed how his friend, Roseline, died after she was pushed into a boiling pot of fresh pepper and tomatoes by her two female friends in Sapele, Delta State.

Joe stated that Roseline, a caterer, went on a trip with her friends to Sapele for a catering job where she tragically passed away on Saturday, April 13.

In a Facebook post on Friday, Joe said that before her untimely death, Roseline confided in him about two of her friends who were treating her coldly.

He urged the Nigeria Police to investigate and arrest the killers of Roseline, pointing out that no progress has been made in the case since her murder.

Joe’s post read, “She was pushed into a big boiling pot of fresh pepper and tomatoes by her friend on Saturday, 13th April. She battled for about two weeks with her roasted/boiled body and finally ḍíęɗ last week Friday 26th April.

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“Nobody in the neighborhood in Otokutu knew Roseline had been allegedly kíIIed by these same friends. She was buried with no one to bid her goodbye and with no single bųríaI poster to honour her. Just two days in the morgue, the mørtųarƴ attendants demanded she be carried away to be buried.

“She traveled with them for a catering job in Sapele where they were speaking their local language with this Yoruba girl, Rozzy, not understanding their conversation.

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My wife slept with our plumber, connived to dupe me — Man tells court

Published

5 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Trends Admin

My wife slept with our plumber, connived to dupe me — Man tells court

Grade A Customary Court, Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State has adjourned till June 3, further hearing in the divorce suit brought before it by a man, Ige, against his wife, Sikira, whom he accused of irresponsibility and infidelity.

Ige added that Sikira was a dupe.

According to Ige, Sikira lacked the ability to take proper care of him and their children and always carried out her duties towards them in a lackadaisical manner.

The plaintiff explained further that the defendant encouraged him to employ the service of a particular plumber when he was building his house, but unknowing to him, the man was her lover.

Ige stated that Sikira was having s3xual affair with the plumber on a regular basis while he was at work.

The plaintiff added that the defendant connived with the plumber to dupe him by adding extra amount to every item he bought when carrying out plumbing work at his site.

Ige said that Sikira eventually moved out of his house and went with all his property.

The plaintiff stated that he desired a fresh start and therefore wanted a clean cut from his wife, which was why he was in court.

The defendant denied all the allegations brought against her but gave in to divorce.

The defendant described the plaintiff as the pot calling the kettle black.

According to the defendant, the plaintiff was in the habit of drinking himself to stupour and beating her.

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She told the court how she caught her husband having sex with a teenager in their apartment.

Sikiral further explained that he once came back home drunk and that he beat and tore her clothes to shreds.

She added that he took the nude pictures of her and sent it to his girlfriend.

The defendant also said that the plaintiff’s girlfriend urged him to seek a way of afflicting the defendant with madness.

According to his girlfriend, it would cost just N200 to perpetrate the evil.

Ige gave his testimony, saying, “My lord, I came to court today because I want a clean cut from my wife.

“Sikira has ridiculed me enough. My life is also not safe with her.

“I met and fell in love with her, and went to her parents with my family to ask for her hand in marriage.

“I paid her bride price and provided all that her family demanded as marital rite.

“Sikara, after all I have spent, got to my house and started misbehaving.

“I realised after we got married that she lacked the ability to run a proper home.

“My wife was lackadaisical concerning my welfare and that of our children.

“The attention and dedication of a loving mother and wife was obviously missing in our lives.

“Sikirat preferred to be out all day than stay back home to keep me and our children company.

“My lord, I stopped trusting my wife a long time ago.

“Sikira is wicked and was unfaithful to me.

“She introduced a plumber to me when I was building my house, and I employed him to do the plumbing work.

“I never had an inkling that the man was her lover.

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“They were consistently having s3xual affair while I was away at work.

“Sikira went further to connive with this man to dupe me.

“She would ask him to add an amount to the items he purchased for the plumbing work and collect this from him.

“My wife made our home a hell to live in and also made my life miserable.

“She later left with all my property.

“My lord, I want to put my past behind me and start life afresh.

“I, therefore, pray that this court grant me a clean cut from my wife.

“My lord, I pray that you dissolve our marriage and grant me custody of our children, who she hardly showed affection towards.”

Sikira stated, “My lord, my husband is the pot calling the kettle black.

“All he said about me are lies.

“Ige is irresponsible. He was always drinking himself to stupour and punching me.

“I once caught him having sex with a teenager in our room.

“He once came back home drunk and, as usual, descended on me with punches.

“He went further to tear my clothes, took my nude pictures and sent them to his girlfriend.

“His girlfriend urged him to afflict me with madness.

“She told him it would only cost him N200 to do so.

“I did not pack out of his house. He threw my belongings out.

“I am also no longer willing to stay married to him.

“I pray that our marriage be dissolved.”

The court president, Mrs S.M Akintayo adjourned the case.

My wife slept with our plumber, connived to dupe me — Man tells court

(TRIBUNE)

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Ex-FCMB manager sentenced to 121-year imprisonment

Published

5 hours ago

May 4, 2024

Trends Admin

Nwachukwu Placidus

Ex-FCMB manager sentenced to 121-year imprisonment

Justice S. N. Odili of the Anambra State High Court sitting in Onitsha, Anambra State, has convicted and sentenced a former manager with First City Monument Bank, FCMB, Onitsha branch, Nwachukwu Placidus, to a cumulative 121 years imprisonment.

A statement issued by the anti-graft agency on Saturday said Placidus bagged the jail term for diverting fixed deposit funds of a customer to the tune of N112,100,000 for his personal use.

He was arraigned on Tuesday, March 27, 2018 on 16-count charges bordering on forgery, stealing, obtaining by false pretence and uttering, by the Enugu Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

One of the counts reads: “Nwachukwu Placidus between February 2009 and November 2014 in Onitsha, Anambra State within the jurisdiction of the Anambra State High Court of Nigeria with intent to defraud obtained the sum of (N112,100,000) One Hundred and Twelve Million, One Hundred Thousand Naira only, from Idemili Microfinance Bank under the false pretence that you have placed the said money in a fixed deposit account with First City Monument Bank PLC for it, which pretence you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence”.

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He pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him, thus setting the stage for his trial.

In the course of trial, the EFCC, through its counsel, Mainforce Ekwu presented four witnesses and tendered several relevant documents which were admitted in evidence.

In his judgment, Justice Odili held that “the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt” and sentenced the convict to nine years imprisonment on count 3, 4 years on count 4 and 9 years on counts 5 to 16 respectively. He was discharged on counts 1 and 2. The sentences shall run concurrently.

The court further ordered the convict to restitute the said sum to his victim, Idemili Microfinance Bank.

Placidus ’journey to the Correctional Centre began when a petitioner , Idemili Microfinance Bank LTD, alleged that the sum of N112, 100, 000 was handed over to him as the branch manager of FCMB in Onitsha, for fixed deposit. However, when the petitioner approached the bank to terminate and withdraw the deposit, the bank denied receiving the said funds.

Upon receipt of the petition, the EFCC swung into action and investigations revealed that the convict diverted the money for his own use and issued a fake fixed Deposit Certificate to the petitioner.