Chidinma Ojukwu: Super TV CEO murder case continue with testimony from apartment owner on how dem find Usifo Ataga body and identify di suspect

Nkechi Mogbo, di owner of di short service apartment wia dem find di lifeless body of Michael Usifo Ataga di Super TV Chief Executive Officer for June 2021, don narrate how di mata waka.

Mogbo tok while she bin dey give evidence as di first prosecution witness (PW1) for di on-going trial of Chidinma Ojukwu and two odas wey dey face accuse say dem get hand for di murder of Ataga.

Ojukwu, alongside her sister, Chioma Egbuchu and one Adedapo Quadri, dey stand trial for di alleged murder of di CEO, of Super TV.

On Thursday, 11, November wey Lagos High court sit to hear di case, Mogbo tell Justice Yetunde Adesanya for Tafawa Balewa Square TBS, say Chidinma comot di service apartment before di day she pay say she go comot.

Na di Director of Public Prosecution DPP, Mrs Adeyinka Adeyemi, lead di witness in evidence in chief.

Mogbo say “on June 13, at about 4:00p.m, one lady call me on phone with private number and request for di apartment.

“I ask di lady to send a message to me through WhatsApp so I go fit forward di address to her, something wey I do.

“Afterwards, di lady through WhatsApp message confam to me say she go take di apartment for three days.

“She mention say her name na Jewel and I forward payment details afta which she send me proof of payment of N125,000, to my WhatsApp.

“Na one Guaranty Trust Bank account from one Mr Micheal Usifo dem use make di payment, e get time and date of transfer and my name as pesin wey receive am.

“Di security guard give her di key to di apartment but two days later (June 15th) at 5:30pm, di lady send message to my WhatsApp say her friend go stay for two more days and say e go pay. Mogbo tok.

Chidinma for court

BBC

Mogbo tok say na some hours afta dat wen she call di security guard na im e tok say dem find body for di ground of di same apartment. By dat time, she bin don receive payment of N50,000 for di extra two days but tell di caller say she no receive am so she go fit make her to pay again and come di apartment to collect di extra.

“I panic wen my security guard tell me about di body. I ask about di lady, because the guard confam say di lady wey book di apartment dey with one guy. Dem say she comot a night before around 7:30 to 8pm.

“I send her message say I receive di first payment of N50,000 and say I don give di security man di extra N50,000, for her to pick am up from di security. She no come, she send message say she go use am pay for two more days for her friend, I report di incident for di Maroko Police Station, dem follow me to di apartment, dem take pictures and I follow dem back to make statement on wetin I know.” She tok.

Mogbo also narrate how she identify Chidinma Ojukwu later wen dem bring her come di police station.

“I write more statements and dem detain me for seven days, to assist with di case. During dis time, dem interview me, collect different evidence.

“On di sixth night, dem call me enta DCP office, one young lady dey present, two older ladies and some officers. E ask me if I recognise di young lady and I say no.”

Di witness say she come remember say she bin save one picture for her phone and she use am confam.

“Di security man, wey she dey in contact with and always dey call to on di generator or pump di water say one day, she mistakenly call am with her number around 2:30 a.m, but she hang up and call with private number to tell di security man to turn on di generator.

“During di investigation, di security man pass di phone number as possible lead. E bin save di number and dey able to get di foto wey she use as profile picture.

“During police investigation, wen dem print my phone record, di same number also match my incoming call number on Sunday 13th June, wey di caller bin try to hide, but no fit hide from di network providers,” she tori.

Di Prosecutor, tender di printed copy of di WhatsApp conversation as evidence.

But Counsel to di first defendant, Mr Onwuka Egbu, object to am say “na public document wey dem suppose certify dem go fit use am as evidence.

Justice Yetunde Adesanya, however overrule di argument of di defendant counsel and admit di document as evidence.

Egbu request for more time to enable am study di documents wey dem recently serve am and prepare for cross examination of di witness.

Justice Adesanya come adjourn di case until November, 15 for continuation of trial.