Chidinma Ojukwu admitted spiking Usifo Ataga’s drink — Police officer

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Olusegun Bamidele told the Lagos High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square on Wednesday that Chidinma Ojukwu, the prime suspect in the death of former chief executive officer of Super TV, Usifo Ataga, admitted spiking his drink.

Ms Ojukwu, who was a student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), is facing trial alongside her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, and a man Adedapo Quadri.

Bamidele serves with the homicide department of the State Criminal Investigating Department (SCID) Yaba.

At the resumption of the cross-examination of Bamidele by the defence counsel, Onwuka Egwu, a video displaying the last moments of Ataga and the suspect, Ojukwu, was played to ascertain the items in the video as listed in the evidence given to the court as exhibits.

Mr Egwu asked the witness to confirm that the items were handed over to him in the state they were seen in the video.

“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,” Egwu said.

“The T-shirt counsel is referring to wasn’t brought here to the court because the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) people took it for analysis,” answered 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, the witness answered.

“So you can’t confirm the DNA of the blood on that T-shirt?” Asked Egwu.

“I cannot confirm,” Bamidele replied.

“Can you confirm that the nylon she entered the place with is conspicuously on the table,” Egwu asked.

“Yes,” replied Bamidele.

“Did you find out what was in that bag?” Asked Egwu.

“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,” said Bamidele.

The witness was also questioned on the electronic gadgets recovered. Bamidele said Ojukwu told him they didn’t belong to her.

Counsel to the second defendant Babatunde Busari also cross-examined the witness.

Asked about the drug Rophybol, the witness testified that the first defendant, Ojukwu, told him that a dose of the drug is capable of knocking a person out.

He also said that he tendered a sample of the drug in evidence.

“You believed that the first defendant must have spiked the drink of the deceased?” Asked Busari.

The witness replied, “It’s not like I believe, based on my interaction with her, she told me what she did and I believed her.”

Justice Yetunde Adesanya adjourned till January 29 for continuation of the trial.