The trial of an undergraduate, Chidinma Ojukwu, for the murder of the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, Usifo Ataga, was on Monday stalled due to the absence of a prosecution witness.
Ojukwu is standing trial before a Lagos High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square.
She is charged with murder, stealing and forgery alongside her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, and one Adedapo Quadri.
On Monday, prosecution counsel, A. O. Oluwafemi, also Deputy Director of Lagos State Directorate Public Prosecutions, told the court that a prosecution witness, billed to testify, was not in court.
She prayed that earlier dates for continuation of hearing of the case be vacated to enable the prosecution to get toxicology and Deoxyribonucleic Acid results needed for the trial.
Oluwafemi said the results were not available yet, adding that the next witness would be examined with those documents.
Justice Yetunde Adesanya consequently vacated the dates and adjourned the proceedings until April 25 for the continuation of trial.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that at the last adjourned date, February 17, an Investigative Police Officer, Inspector Ibrahim Isiaka, gave evidence.
Isiaka, the sixth prosecution witness, narrated how police allegedly discovered Usifo Ataga in the pool of his own blood on June 16, 2021.
The witness said that the police consequently called the Emergency Unit at the Yaba General Hospital and evacuated Ataga’s corpse.
He told the court that on June 16, 2021, a case of murder was reported at his place of work, Maroko Police Station.
Isiaka testified that at 11:30 p.m. one Mrs Nkechi Mogbo came to the station and reported that a body was discovered at her short-service facility where people lodged.
He testified that Mogbo narrated to the police that the security guard at the facility informed her that the body of a man who lodged in the facility was discovered lying in the pool of his blood.
The witness said that Mogbo also told the police that a cleaner in the facility went to clean the apartment but there was no response from the people who lodged there.
He said that the security guard and the cleaner forcefully opened the door and discovered Ataga in a pool of blood.
The witness said the police, including the divisional police officer and the divisional crime officer, went to the crime scene.
Isiaka said that the police found some clothes as well as a travelling bag in the apartment and collected the items for investigation.
NAN reports that the three defendants were arraigned on October 12 on a nine-count charge preferred by the Lagos State Government.
Ojukwu and Quadri are facing the first to eight counts bordering on conspiracy, murder, stabbing, forgery, making of bank statements and stealing.
The third defendant, Egbuchu, is facing the ninth count – stealing of iPhone 7 belonging to the late Ataga.
Ojukwu and Quadri are alleged to have conspired and murdered Ataga on June 15, 2021, by stabbing him several times with a knife in the neck and chest.
The alleged murder took place at No. 19, Adewale Oshin St., Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
The duo was also accused of committing forgery by procuring and making bank account statements purported to have been made by the deceased.
(NAN)
