A 300-level student of the University of Lagos, Chidinma Ojukwu, has told the Lagos State High Court that fear stopped her from reporting the death of Super TV CEO, Michael Usifo Ataga.
Chidinma, who is standing trial for Ataga’s murder, gave her testimony on Monday before Justice Yetunde Adesanya at Tafawa Balewa Square.
Speaking in court, Chidinma said, “I was scared.”
She explained that she had read many stories where people who reported crimes ended up being blamed. She said, “I thought of calling the gateman again because I had called him while at the staircase of the apartment, but I ended the call immediately because I was scared.”
Narrating what happened on June 16, 2021, Chidinma said she became worried after noticing that Ataga read her WhatsApp messages but refused to answer her calls.
She said she contacted a man named Abu, who operated the generator and water pump at the shortlet apartment, to ask about Michael.
Chidinma said she asked him, “That man wey I come with, you don see am yesterday?” and Abu replied that he saw Ataga drive out the day before. However, the gateman later informed her that Ataga’s car was still at the premises.
Out of fear and confusion, Chidinma sent a WhatsApp message to Ataga, saying, “Please Michael, forgive me. I didn’t mean to leave you in that state. I was very scared.”
She added, “After sending that message, I discovered I had been blocked.”
She also said that on June 19, 2021, she sent SMS messages to Ataga because the WhatsApp messages were not delivering.
Chidinma told the court that she gave her iPhone 7 Plus to her sister, Chioma, on June 22, after Chioma lost her own phone.
She explained that she was arrested on June 23, 2021, by about four or five policemen.
Chidinma said, “When I said I didn’t have anything belonging to the deceased, one of the policemen slapped me.” She added that her father tried to intervene, but both of them were taken to the police station.
At Panti police station, Chidinma said she was forced to write a statement without a lawyer present. She said, “I said, ‘Sir, I know my rights, a lawyer should be present.’ Bamidele said, ‘There’s no lawyer coming for you,’ and I was slapped from behind.”
According to her, the officer also threatened her family, saying, “If you love your family, you better comply. Otherwise, your Dad, your sister, even your 10-year-old sister will be detained too.”
Because of fear, she said she wrote a statement, but the officer tore it up, calling it “nonsense.”
She also said that during the investigation, the police showed her pictures of Ataga’s body, a rope, and chats from the apartment owner.
“They showed me a rope and said I used it to tie Michael. I said, ‘No sir, he is too huge for me to tie,’” she said.
Chidinma further said the police brought out her bank documents and school ID card during questioning. She confirmed to them that she was a student of the University of Lagos.
Justice Yetunde Adesanya adjourned the case to April 29, 2025, for the continuation of the trial.
