Chidinma Ojukwu, the young woman accused of killing Super TV boss Michael Usifo Ataga, has told a Lagos State High Court that all her statements to the police were false and made under pressure.
Chidinma, a former 300-level Mass Communication student at the University of Lagos, is standing trial alongside Adedapo Quadri and her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, on charges of murder, stealing, and forgery.
Testifying on Tuesday at the court sitting in Tafawa Balewa Square, Chidinma said police officers made her lie during her interrogation and forced her to sign a statement she did not write.
She claimed, “Because of the fear that the Investigating Police Officer, Mr. Bamidele, and his team put in me, I couldn’t say anything different from what he told me to say. I only said what he asked me to tell the Commissioner of Police.”
Chidinma said she was arrested on June 23, 2021, and that her phone was taken from her. She added that the officer searched her phone, took contact details, and asked questions about a MacBook she sold and some cannabis she and Ataga allegedly smoked.
She told the court that the officer, Mr Bamidele, accused her of withdrawing over N5 million using Ataga’s ATM card, which she denied.
“I said, ‘Sir, I don’t know anything about that.’ But he insisted and told me to write a statement. When I said I had already written one and my lawyer was not there, he slapped me.”
Chidinma explained that she became tired and shaky but the officer took over and wrote the statement himself.
“When he finished, he asked me to read it. I told him I couldn’t read his handwriting. He read it to me. I told him the story was false. He said, ‘That will be your story, better comply.’”
She said her hand was handcuffed to the seat and that the officer warned her not to say anything different when she met the Commissioner of Police.
“He told me, ‘If you love your life, don’t say otherwise.’”
Chidinma added that she was taken to Ikeja the next day where she was shown to journalists.
“He said some journalists would ask questions and I should stick to the story he gave me. On the field, cameras surrounded me. I gave the answers he instructed.”
Afterwards, she said she was taken to the DCP’s office where a video recording was done.
“They asked me to talk, but I was tired and had a headache. They gave me 20 minutes to rest. Then a lady came and applied makeup to my face. We made many videos until he found one he liked.”
She also said that later that day, another officer forced her to write another statement.
“A female officer told me to shut up and sit down. I was hit on the head by a male officer. When I said I was hungry, one of them said, ‘When you’re done, you’ll get food.’”
She told the court that she was forced to sign the final written statement even though nothing in it was true.
“I signed it because he said I should. I was very weak,” she said. “Even the part about buying food from Blackbell Restaurant was false.”
Justice Yetunde Adesanya adjourned the case until May 7, 2025, for continuation of the trial.
