Ataga murder: Chidinma was having sexual relationship with her foster father –Police

A Deputy Superintendent of Police, Olusegun Bamidele, and witness in the ongoing trial of Chidinma Ojukwu, who is standing trial over alleged murder of the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, Usifo Ataga, has revealed that the defendant was having sexual relationship with her foster father, Onoh Ojukwu.

Bamidele, who is serving with the homicide department of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti Yaba, revealed this while being cross examined by Chidinma’s lawyer, Mr Onwuka Egwu, during trial within trial before Justice Yetunde Adesanya of the Lagos High Court, Tafawa Balewa Square.

Apart from murder charge preferred against the defendant who is an undergraduate of the University of Lagos, she is also charged with stealing and forgery alongside one Adedapo Quadri and her sister, Chioma Egbuchu.

At the resumed hearing of the matter yesterday, Bamidele, who was led in evidence in the trial within trial, narrated how Chidinma was arrested and how she was interrogated. He also told the court that the first time the first defendant was arrested he wasn’t there.

When asked during cross examination by the first defendant’s lawyer to confirm that four people  were arrested when his team visited 25 Akinwumi Street, Alagomeji, Yaba, he said they were three.

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He said: “That night, on June 23, 2021, the first team that visited came back with three people. The first defendant, Chidinma Ojukwu, her foster father, Onoh Ojukwu, and an underaged girl. Those were the people I saw. I was in the second team that visited the address that night.”

He also confirmed that Mr Ojukwu was re-arrested on July 25 and kept in detention till August 19, 2021.

On Chidinma’s sexual relationship with his foster father, he said: “In the course of him staying with us, we stumbled on an intelligence that there was an amorous (sexual) relationship between the first defendant and her foster father. And that gave the impetus that Mr Ojukwu was not sincere that he was not aware of the offence the first defendant is standing trial for.”

However, the case was adjourned till November 10 for continuation of trial within trial.

Ojukwu was arraigned alongside two others; Adedapo Quadri and Chioma Egbuchu, on October 12, 2021, on a nine-count charge over alleged murder of Ataga preferred against them by the 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 receiving a stolen iPhone 7 belonging to the late Ataga.

Ojukwu and Quadri were alleged to have conspired and murdered Ataga on June 15, 2021, by stabbing him several times with a knife on the neck and chest. The incident took place at No. 19, Adewale Oshin Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

SUN