Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Olusegun Bamidele informed the Lagos High Court at Tafawa Balewa Square on Wednesday that Chidinma Ojukwu, the primary suspect in the death of former Super TV CEO, Usifo Ataga, confessed to spiking his drink.
Ms. Ojukwu, a University of Lagos (UNILAG) student, is currently on trial alongside her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, and Adedapo Quadri.
Bamidele, serving with the homicide department of the State Criminal Investigating Department (SCID) Yaba, revealed during cross-examination that Ojukwu admitted to spiking Ataga’s drink. The defence counsel, Onwuka Egwu, played a video showing the last moments of Ataga and Ojukwu to verify items in the video listed as exhibits.
Egwu asked Bamidele to confirm that the items were in the same condition as seen in the video. Bamidele responded, “The belt and the sneakers were put together in a nylon bag while the key was used in removing the car from the compound to Maroko police station. There was no blood stains on them. In your record of August 20, 2021, you reported finding a blood-stained T-shirt, confirm that the blood-stained T-shirt was not tendered here.”
“The T-shirt counsel is referring to wasn’t brought here to the court because the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) people took it for analysis,” replied the officer.
“So this T-shirt has not been tendered”? the counsel asked.
“It’s not in this court, it’s at the DNA office,” Bamidele replied.
“You can’t confirm the DNA of the blood on that T-shirt?” asked Egwu.
“I cannot confirm,” Bamidele replied.
Egwu also questioned the contents of a nylon bag that Ojukwu brought into the location, and Bamidele stated that he didn’t investigate it as the focus was to establish the presence of the defendant and the deceased.
The witness was further cross-examined on electronic gadgets recovered, where he mentioned that Ojukwu claimed they didn’t belong to her.
Counsel to the second defendant, Babatunde Busari, also cross-examined the witness. Bamidele testified that Ojukwu told him a dose of the drug Rophybol could knock a person out, and he tendered a sample of the drug as evidence.
When asked if he believed Ojukwu spiked the drink of the deceased, Bamidele responded, “It’s not like I believe, based on my interaction with her, she told me what she did, and I believed her.”
The trial is adjourned until January 29 for continuation.
