A former 300-level student of the University of Lagos, Chidinma Ojukwu, standing trial for the alleged murder of Super TV Chief Executive Officer, Michael Ataga has insisted that her co-defendant, Adedapo Quadri, was unaware of her activities with Ataga at the short-let apartment in Lekki where the incident occurred.
She made the claim on Monday while being cross-examined by the second defendant’s counsel Babatunde Busari, during the resumed hearing of continuation of defence before Justice Yetunde Adesanya of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Tafawa Balewa Square.
Chidinma said that she never discussed the death of Michael Usifo Ataga, with her co-defendant, Quadri.
The defendant said her dealings with her co-defendant were limited to the supply of Loud – a form of cannabis and Rohypnol, as well as his assistance in producing her school identity card.
“I never had any discussion with Adedapo Quadri about the death of Mr. Ataga, the only transactions we had were for the supply of Loud and Rohypnol. He also helped me produce my school ID card,” said Chidinma.
Chidinma says Quadri was to supply Michael Ataga Loud
Responding, Chidinma told the court, “Quadri didn’t know anything that happened between me and Mr. Ataga at the apartment.
“He never visited me there throughout my stay. I only called him to supply Loud and Rohypnol after Mr. Ataga said he had just one stick of Loud left.”
The defendant admitted taking a brown envelope from the apartment where the incident occurred when she left, explaining that it contained several personal documents belonging to Ataga, and Mary Johnson.
According to her, “I took the brown envelope when I was leaving the apartment.”
She confirmed that the items inside the brown envelope were Mr. Ataga’s driver’s licence, his ID card, office complimentary cards, a driver’s licence, his Access Bank statement, an international passport belonging to one Mary Johnson, driver’s license, as well as UBA statements of account.
She told the court that she informed the Police during interrogation at her residence that she had taken the envelope by mistake.
She said, “When the Police came to my house at No. 57 Akinwunmi Street, Alagomeji, Yaba, I told DSP Olusegun Bamidele that I mistakenly took the envelope home.”
The defendant also mentioned that she obtained her international passport by herself and that another person not Quadri helped her get her driver’s licence and other documents.
“My conversation with Quadri on the phone was only about Loud and Rohypnol,” Chidinma said.
Earlier, Mr. Yusuf Sule announced appearance for the prosecution, Mr. Onwuka Egwu for Chidinma and M.A. Abiabasi for the third defendant respectively.
Egwu reminded the court that at the last adjourned date, he had sought to tender certain letters which the prosecution counsel had objected to.
Egwu told the court, “I wrote a letter to the prosecution on October 29, 2021, requesting the production of items released on bond to the nominal complainant.”
Sule responded that the prosecution did not come across any such document.
Afterwards, Justice Adesanya directed Egwu to tender the letters.
He tendered four letters through Chidinma, all of which were admitted in evidence.
Then the judge ruled that the letter dated October 29, 2021, addressed to the Director of Public Prosecutions and duly acknowledged, was admissible.
“The letter is properly before the court and is therefore admissible in evidence,” Adesanya said.
She also admitted other letters addressed to the Ministry of Justice, the Attorney-General of Lagos State, and the Inspector-General of Police, copies of which were sent to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police and Panti.
She thereafter admitted Ojukwu’s handwritten letter appointing Egwu as her counsel, ruling that “the document attached to the previous correspondence is admissible.”
Justice Adesanya overruled the prosecution’s objection of not tending the documents through the first defendant.
The trial judge held,”The maker of this document is relevant and the relevance is therefore relevant as relevance can be, the objection is over ruled and I so hold”.
Following the ruling, Egwu tendered an iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone X, and a MacBook through his client.
Chidinma identified the devices, saying, “The iPhone 7 Plus belongs to my sister, while the iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone X, and the silver 2019 MacBook Pro are mine. I sold the MacBook to a vendor.”
Ojukwu and Quadri are standing trial for allegedly conspiring to murder Ataga on June 15, 2021, by stabbing him multiple times in the neck and chest at No. 19, Adewale Oshin Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
The Lagos State Government had arraigned Ojukwu and two others on October 12, 2021.
Ojukwu and Quadri were charged with the first eight counts of conspiracy, murder, and stabbing, while her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, was charged with the ninth count of stealing an iPhone 7 belonging to the late Ataga.
Justice Adesanya adjourned the case to November 6, 2025, for continuation of trial.
