Inside Nigeria
Why Police Arraigned Chidinma’s Father, Four Others Over Super TV Boss Ataga’s Murder
A new twist to unravel the death of Super TV boss, Usifo Ataga’s murder in an hotel apartment in Lekki, Lagos, surfaced on Monday as the police filed a criminal charge against Chidinma’s father, Mr Onoh Ojukwu, accusing him of complicity.
Ojukwu and four others were arraigned by the police before a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court for obstruction of justice and failing to report a crime to the law enforcement agencies.
The 57-year-old, and one Babalola Disu, 42, were charged with obstructing the police from performing their duties and failing to report a crime to the police.
The other defendants – Jessica Egbochi, 28; Abayomi Olutayo, 23; and Ifeoluwa Olowu, 23, were accused of receiving stolen items.
All the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The prosecution counsel, Cyril Ajiofor, alleged that the defendants committed the offences on June 18 and 23 at Computer Village in Ikeja, and Alagomeji in Yaba.
He informed the court that Ojukwu prevented the police from arresting his daughter, Chidinma, while the second defendant, Disu, failed to report Ataga’s death to the police.
According to Ajiofor, the other three defendants dishonestly received a MacBook valued at N2.5 million and an iPhone 7 worth N150,000 belonging to the deceased.
He stated that the offences contravened Sections 97, 117, 328, and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
In her ruling, Chief Magistrate Adeola Adedayo granted each defendant N1 million bail with two sureties each in the like sum, who must make a deposit of N20,000 into the coffers of the Chief Registrar.
She adjourned further proceedings until September 6.
Barely three weeks after confessing to killing the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, the suspect, 21-year-old Chidinma Ojukwu, a supposed 300-level Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos, recanted her earlier statement.