CHIDINMA'S TRIAL: POLICE WITNESS NARRATES HOW ATAGA'S BODY WAS EXAMINED AT THE MORGUE

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

The ninth prosecuting witness in the ongoing alleged murder trial against Chidinma Ojukwu, a former Unilag undergraduate of Mass Communication, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Olusegun Bamidele, has narrated before a Lagos High Court, at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), on Monday, how he examined the body of the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, Micheal Usifo Ataga, when he visited the morgue.

The 21-year-old and two others are on trial over the murder of Ataga.

At the resumed hearing of the case which was slated for Cross-examination of the police officer, who told the court that he visited the mortuary two days after the deceased died in order to carry out his investigation.

Bamidele said, “I visited the mortuary, on the 16th or 17th of June, 2021 on the very day PW1 was brought as a suspect to thee State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti accompanied with the Investigating Police Officer, at Maroko Police station.

At the mortuary, the body bag was brought to me and opened in my presence for observation. The body was left in the bag and it was opened that i could clearly see it.

I saw the mark of injury on the body, took notice of the injury on the neck region and i also, instructed the mortuary attendant to turn the body over in my presence. When it was turned over, i saw marks on the side of the left ribs.

There was an injury at the lower center of the head. It was an open injury that showed signs of a stab.”

When asked by Chidinma’s Counsel, Mr Onwuka Egwu, to clarify what was written in his report and evidence about the deceased drinking a spiked drink before his death and also not tendering any laboratory analysis of the drink or bottle to the court.

The officer responded and said, “My answer is that the DNA personnel who visited the place has the responsibility of tendering it. I did not tender or mention it.

He also added that during the course of investigation and examination on some knives found at the apartment of the crime, the police did a bio-data which finger print is one of them

“We did what we call bio-data and fingerprint on one of them. The fingerprints on these knives were taken by fingerprint section of the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Alagbon.

I didn’t mention anything about the fingerprints in my evidence in chief,” he added.

Mr Onwuka, further requested that the matter be adjourned for continuation of cross examination.

Justice Yetunde Adesanya, however adjourned the matter till 20th June, 2023 for continuation as earlier scheduled.

Recall that, while giving evidence during examination-in-chief, DSP Bamidele , had told the court that during investigation, while he was talking to his witness identified as Abubakar, that it was established that the first defendant called him with her real number, which was taken to the tracking team lead by SP Kasumu, who called the Technical Intelligence Unit in Abuja.

This trackers were able according to the witness, to get the call log of the first defendant and the deceased.

Bamidele also claimed that he discovered through the call log that there has been communication between the first and second defendant from 14th to 21 June, 2021.

DSP Bamidele described to the court that efforts were made to ascertain what their discussion was about. “During this time, we sent a letter of investigation to the Nigerià Communication Commission to avail us the voice call between the two defendants.

Their numbers was provided but we didn’t succeed until they were charged to court”, he said.

Chidinma, a 300-level undergraduate of the University of Lagos, was arraigned alongside two others, Adedapo Quadri and Chioma Egbuchu on 12th October, 2021, on a nine-count charge over the alleged murder of Mr Ataga.

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

They were alleged to have conspired and murdered Mr Ataga on 15th June 2021, by stabbing him several times with a knife in the neck and chest.

The incident took place at 19, Adewale Oshin Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

The third defendant, Ms Egbuchu, is facing the ninth count of receiving a stolen iPhone 7 belonging to the deceased.