The trial of an undergraduate student, Chidinma Ojukwu for the murder of the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, Usifo Ataga resumed today at the Lagos High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square on Lagos Island with the testimony of a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Olusegun Bamidele.
He told Justice Yetunde Adesanya, that Chidinma the murder suspect, told him she spiked the drink of the deceased and that he believed her.
Ojukwu, a 300-level, Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos (Unilag), is facing trial for the offence alongside her sister, Chioma Egbuchu and one Adedapo Quadri.
Bamidele who is serving with the homicide department of the State Criminal Investigating Department (SCID) Yaba, was answering questions about the incident while being cross-examined by the defence counsel, Mr. Onwuka Egwu.
At the resumption of the cross-examination, a video displaying the last moments of the deceased, Ataga and the suspect, Chidinma was played to ascertain the items in the video as listed in the evidence given to the court as exhibits.
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 sneaker 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.
court?
“No”.
You believed that the first defendant must have spiked the drink of the deceased? asked Busari.
“It’s not like I believe, based on my interaction with her, she told me what she did and I believed her”, said the witness.
Justice Adesanya has adjourned till January 29 for the continuation of the trial.