ATAGA: CHIDINMA TRANSFERRED N5 MILLION FROM THE DECEASED ACCOUNT ON THE DAY HE WAS STABBED - PROSECUTING WITNESS

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

The manner in which a defendant, Chidinma Ojukwu, who is on trial for the murder of Super TV Chief Executive Officer Usifo Ataga, transferred N5 million from the deceased’s account has come to light.

The investigating officer, DSP Olusegun Bamidele, continued his testimony on Thursday, explaining before Justice Yetunde Adesanya of the Lagos State High Court how Chidinma transferred the funds on June 15, 2021, from Usifo Ataga’s account to another account (it was on Tuesday, the day she said she stabbed Ataga for demanding more sex in her video confessional statement).

The Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions (DDPP), Mrs. Adenike Oluwafemi, introduced the ninth prosecution witness and directed him to exhibit P11, the Access Bank Statement of Ataga. She then asked the witness to explain to the court why he had the deceased’s bank statements.

He claims that throughout the course of the inquiry, they wrote to Access Bank requesting the deceased’s bank statement and were given a copy in order to learn what would have prompted the first defendant to kill the dead and since they had recorded Ataga’s bank,

In addition to the fact that the deceased’s phones were already in the first defendant’s possession and that she had been in charge of the account from which she had purchased airtime, he noted that a detailed examination of the copies of the bank statements was also necessary.
According to Bamidele, who reported his findings to the court, the first defendant transferred N5 million from his account to another bank on June 15 using the deceased’s phone.

“On June 16, 2021 four transactions of N20,000 was made from the deceased’s account, on June 17, another withdrawal of N20,000 was made five times and the remarks was transfer between customers.

“On the same June 16, N50,000 was transferred to Nkechi Mogbo, another N11,200 of fund was also transferred to Caprical Capital, on the same June 16, another N50,000 was transferred from Ataga’s account to Mogbo and another N93,000 transferred from Ataga’s Gtb bank to his Access bank account.

“A transfer of N110,000.75k was debited from the deceased’s account on June 18, 2021.

“On June 19, 2021, a transfer of N20,000 was made four times on that same day another transfer of N20,000 was made five times and it was through the USSD code,” the Bamidele said.

Additionally, he described to the court how they contacted GTB Bank to obtain Ataga’s account statement.
He continued by saying that on June 13, 2021, N10,000 was transmitted to Chidinma over the internet, and N105,000 was also given to Chidinma on the same date for the payment of the short service rent due to Nkechi Mogbo, the apartment’s owner.

“On that same June 13, there was a N13,000 purchase transaction at Ango Villa, N14,200, transaction for purchase at Dwine Bar global, on the same June 13, there was a transfer of N20,399.

“On June 14, 2021, there was N21,000 transfer from Ataga’s account to Chidinma’s account and another transfer of N15,000 paid to Chidinma, there was a N5000 transaction that was made on June 14 and paid to Adiba Online choppy,” he told the court.

When the prosecution asked the court to admit the written statements of the defendants, Chidinma’s counsel Onwuka Egwu, objected to the admissibility of the document.

He argued that the defendant didn’t make the statements voluntarily that the statements were obtained by oppression, inducement intimidation and under duress.

The lawyer therefore urged the court to test the veracity of the voluntariness of the statements.

On the part of the second defendant’s counsel, Babatunde Busari, he did not object.

He also said that the third defendant’s counsel Miss M. A. Abia-Bassey also did not object.

The prosecutor prayed the court to conduct trial within trial for Chidinma.

Justice Yetunde Adesanya, further adjourned the case till 8th of November, 2022 for continuation of trial.