In a riveting courtroom revelation, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Olusegun Bamidele disclosed that Chidinma Ojukwu, the primary suspect in the murder case of Super TV CEO Usifo Ataga, admitted to spiking Ataga’s drink. This stunning admission unfolded during a cross-examination by defense counsel Mr. Onwuka Egwu at the Tafawa Balewa Square on Lagos Island.
Chidinma, a 300-level Mass Communication student at the University of Lagos (Unilag), is on trial alongside her sister Chioma Egbuchu and Adedapo Quadri. The trial resumed with a video depicting the final moments of Ataga and Chidinma being played to authenticate items listed as evidence.
During the cross-examination, Egwu probed the witness about the condition of items seen in the video, including a belt, sneaker, and car key. Bamidele confirmed that these items, presented in a nylon bag, showed no blood stains. However, he clarified that a blood-stained t-shirt mentioned in the August 20, 2021 record was not tendered in court, as it was sent to the DNA office for analysis.
Egwu pressed further, “So this t-shirt has not been tendered?” Bamidele replied, “It’s not in this court; it’s at the DNA office.” When asked about confirming the DNA of the blood on the t-shirt, Bamidele stated, “I cannot confirm.”
The defense then questioned the presence of the nylon bag, to which Bamidele confirmed, “Yes.” However, when asked about the bag’s contents, he explained, “The essence of the video was to establish that the defendant and the deceased were there, so I didn’t look into the nylon. She denied knowing the deceased at first instance. I didn’t get to know what was in the bag.”
The cross-examination continued with inquiries about electronic gadgets. When asked if Chidinma claimed the MacBook was a gift, Bamidele replied, “She told me before she left the apartment, she took along the deceased two phones and a MacBook.” Regarding ownership, Bamidele clarified, “None of the properties belong to her. She told me one on one. Interaction and written statement are two different things.”
Counsel to the second defendant, Babatunde Busari, then cross-examined Bamidele about documents recovered from Adedapo Quadri’s apartment, including bank statements and IDs. Bamidele stated, “I did not investigate whether it was forged or not; none of the documents were found in the custody of the first defendant.”
The officer acknowledged requesting the call log based on the suspicion of the timeline of telephone conversations between the first and second defendants but did not tender the transcript. When questioned about the drug Rophybol, Bamidele testified that Chidinma told him a dose could knock a person out, submitting a sample as evidence. However, he admitted lacking specific training in narcotics or pharmaceuticals and had no report from the NDLEA on Rophybol.
In response to Busari’s question about believing Chidinma spiked the drink, Bamidele clarified, “It’s not like I believe, based on my interaction with her, she told me what she did and I believed her.” As the cross-examination unfolded, the trial was adjourned by Justice Yetunde Adesanya until January 29, adding to the anticipation surrounding this gripping case.
