Olayiwola Matthew
A former University of Lagos Student, Chidinma Ojukwu, accused of killing Super TV Chief Executive Officer, Usifo Ataga, on Tuesday said that statements she made during police interrogation were false and under duress.
Ojukwu testified in her defence before Justice Yetunde Adesanya at a Lagos State High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square.
She is standing murder trial alongside one Adedapo Quadri and her sister, Chioma Egbuchu.
They are also charged with stealing and forgery.
Recall that they were arraigned on October 12, 2021, on a nine-count charge preferred by the Lagos State Government.
At the resumed hearing, Ojukwu said that, due to a fear the Investigating Police Officer (IPO), Mr Bamidele, and his team put in her, she could not deviate from a narrative they dictated for her.
“I narrated what the IPO asked me to say to the Lagos State commissioner of police,” Ojukwu said.
Ojukwu was led in evidence by her counsel, Mr Onwuka Egwu.
According to her, after she was arrested on June 23, 2021, Bamidele collected her phone and asked her to input the password, which she did.
The defendant testified that the IPO located her sister’s name in her contact list, asked her to confirm it, and then wrote it down.
She testified that the IPO also inquired about her laptop and her visit to Computer Village, Ikeja.
“He asked what laptop I sold, and I replied it was a MacBook. When he asked where I sold it, I told him it was to a phone vendor. He then noted down the vendor’s address.”
Ojukwu said that the IPO asked her about the source of some cannabis she smoked, and she said that someone supplied it.
“He asked: ‘The cannabis you said you and Michael smoked, where did you get it? I said, ‘Quadri’.
“Bamidele said: ‘Can I have his phone number? I said, ‘Its on my phone’. He collected the number and wrote it down.
“Then he asked: “Where is Micheal’s ATM card? I said, ‘ I am not with Michael’s ATM card.
“ He said: Five million Naira was withdrawn and subsequently N20,000 was withdrawn a couple of times, totaling N5,380,000.
“I said, “Sir, I don’t know anything about it’,” Ojukwu said.
The defendant also told the court that after the interrogation, Bamidele said he got some evidence and asked her to write her statement.
Ojukwu testified that during her interrogation, she faced mistreatment from Bamidele.
She alleged that Bamidele slapped her after she expressed concerns about writing her statement without her legal counsel being present.
She testified that her hands were handcuffed to a chair, while Bamidele read the statement to her multiple times.
According to her, the next morning, Bamidele and another officer escorted her to the office of the Lagos State commissioner of police where she was coerced into repeating the allegedly dictated statement.
She further testified that she was paraded before journalists and was instructed to stick to the ‘script’ provided by Bamidele.
She added that she was taken to another office where she was forced to write a statement under duress.
The case has been adjourned until May 7 for continuation of trial.
(NAN)