CHIDINMA: SECOND DEFENDANT NEVER TOLD ME THAT HE KILLED ATAGA - WITNESS TELLS COURT

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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 testified before a Lagos High Court, at Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), on Monday, that the second defendant, Adedapo Quadri, never told him that he has a hand in the death of the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, Micheal Usifo Ataga.

At the resumed hearing of the case which was slated for continuation of Cross-examination, the second defendant’s counsel, Mr. Babatunde Busari, questioned the witness on where it is written in the statements of the first and second defendants (Chidinma and Adedapo Quadri), that the deceased’s drink was spiked before his demise.

Recall that on the last adjourned date, DSP Bamidele had testified before Justice Yetunde Adesanya, that the first defendant told him that she spiked Ataga’s drink and he believed her.

While giving his evidence, he also told the court that Chidinma and Ataga smoked and had alcoholic drinks together.

The defense counsel asked again, “Please confirm that the first defendant from her statement and what you wrote that after they finished these set of smokes, the deceased requested for more and it was ordered and delivered while they were still at the apartment.”

Bamidele answered in the affirmative, “That’s correct, my Lord.”

Question: “This dispatch rider that brought the additional smoke like you said ‘Ruffy’, did you interact with him at any point in time during the course of your investigation?”

Ans: “We put in our best effort to get the said dispatch rider, till this moment, we couldn’t get him along.”

Question: “I want you to re-confirm that you told this court that, the first defendant told you that there was a struggle between herself and the deceased when he demanded for more sex whic she refused?”

“I want you to explain in very short details how you reconciled the deceased whose drink was spiked with a drug which you described as Rephynol aka ‘Ruffy’, in your words, which potency you said can knock one off if taken.”

Ans: “Yes my Lord, the essence of their going into the apartment is to enjoy themselves. Asking for more which she claimed led to struggle was established during investigation.

In the same vein, it was during investigation, that it was established that the deceased drink was spiked by the first defendant in order to gain a particular profit.”

On the issue of the UBA bank statement found in possession of the first defendant, Mr Busari asked if his client had forged it.

The witness informed the court that Adedapo Quadri, did not make it but he told him that it was possessed by someone.

When asked if he made further enquiry on whether the account number existed in their records, he answered “NO.”

When the third counsel questioned the witness, he told the court that Chioma Egbuchu, the third defendant and sister to Chidinma, said that she saw a viral report online saying that the first defendant was being paraded for offense of murder, that was when she (Chioma) after persuasion showed up at their office.

He concluded that the third defendant did not know that the phone given to her was a stolen item.

After listening to the cross-examination from the counsels, Justice Adesanya Adjourned till 20th of February for continuation of trial.