Lagos State High Court on Thursday ordered that Chidimma Ojukwu’s co-suspects to enter defense over the allegations of criminal conspiracy and killing of Super TV CEO, Michael Usifo Ataga on June 16, 2021 when the deceased media personnel had love making moments with the then 21 years old Chidimma Ojukwu who made three seperate confessional statements, viz: 1, she singlehandedly stabbed Ataga to death, 2, she unintentionally stabbed Ataga to death in self defense during a fight, and 3, she knows nothing about Ataga’s death, saying, she went out of the hotel room to buy something, only to come back and met the Super TV CEO lifeless with bloodstains in the hotel room.

Though the prime suspect, Chidimma Ojukwu did not make any submission when the case came up on Thursday but the second and third defendants for Usifo Ataga murder case, Chioma Egbuchu and Adedayo Quadri on Thursday presented a no case submission to court, demanding that the court should dismiss all charges against them.

But the prosecution team opposed the application, stating that they have presented full evidence to court that implicated the dou.

Chidimma Ojukwu and Adedayo Quadri have been in prison since 2021 when police brought up allegations that show they are fully involved in the murder of Ataga Usifo.

Justice Yetunde Adesanya of the Lagos State High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square, on Thursday, ordered the two Chidimma Ojukwu’s co-suspects to open their defence.

She and Quadri are facing the first to eight counts bordering on conspiracy, murder, and stabbing while her sister, Egbuchu, is facing the ninth count of stealing an iPhone 7 belonging to the late Ataga.

The two were alleged to have conspired and murdered Ataga on June 16, 2021, by stabbing him several times with a knife in the neck and chest. The incident occurred at number 19 Adewale Oshin Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

According to Punch Newspaper, at the resumed hearing of the trial on Thursday, the second and third defendants who had earlier filed a no-case submission, challenging the trial, asked the court to dismiss all charges against them.

The second defendant’s counsel, Babatunde Busari, and the third defendant’s counsel, M I Otuaka, argued that the prosecution had failed to establish any material evidence for their clients to enter defence in the case.

In his response to the application, the state’s prosecution, Yusuf Sule, objected to the submission and urged the court to dismiss the second defendant’s no-case submission application.

He said, “The prosecution has put forward material evidence linking the second defendant to the charges against him. We call upon him to enter his defense.”

“In response to the third defendant’s application, the prosecution filed a response on November 27, 2024, as per argument in response to this case. We urge the court to dismiss the application for a no-case submission as the prosecution has established material evidence of a stolen phone in the case. We, however, call upon the third defendant to enter her defence.”

Justice Yetunde Adesanya dismissed the no-case submission of the second and third defendants. She ordered them to open their defence. The judge thereafter adjourned the case till February 20, 2025, for continuation of trial.

Meanwhile, after nearly two years, the autopsy report of Chidinma Ojukwu and Usifo Ataga’s murder case was read in court.

In line with the testimony of the former vice chancellor of the Lagos State University, Professor John Obafunwa, Usifo Ataga was killed by two people and wasn’t drugged, as claimed by the police.

During cross-examination, Professor Obafunwa stated that the claim by the police that Usifo Ataga was sedated with a Date drug (Rohypnol) in a bid to disarm was false.

He noted that the quantity of Rohypnol seen in Ataga’s bloodstream wasn’t enough to sedate him and was insignificant.

The forensic pathologist also confirmed that autopsy results revealed that the two deadly stabs that killed Ataga were inflicted on his armpit and loss of blood.

Professor Obafunwas also noted that a double-edged knife was used during the attack, and there was a high possibility that there were two assailants who inflicted the injuries.

The former LASU VC further stated that, unlike in other cases, he was unable to visit the crime scene, and the photographs and photos the police sent to him had no connection with the scene.

He also debunked the claims of the police that Ataga was restrained during the attack. Instead, he noted that he tried to defend himself, which was why he was stabbed in his palm.

Professor Obafunwa also noted that the attack on Ataga was inflicted by a right-handed person. He said this explains why most of the stab wounds and cuts were to the left side of the victim’s body.

“My first contact with the corpse was in July 2021, death occurred on 16th June 2021. I raised alarm with the Police on how to conduct an autopsy after over 3 weeks of death? I went further to ask them is there’s no scene to visit, do you have photographs. I had no opportunity to visit the crime scene. The pictures and videos sent to me by the Police have no bearing with the scene. It shows just people drinking at a bar”, Professor Obafunwa stated.

Earlier in 2021, Barrister Franklin Usu, Cousin brother to Late Super TV CEO, Micheal Usifo Ataga has made statement indicating there is more to the true killer or killers of the media chief executive officer.

Barrister Franklin Usu while speaking in a television programme with Crimefighters reporter, said his cousin brother hands were tied badly that the rope enters his skin.

Barrister Franklin Usu said the suspect, Chidinma Ojukwu currently helping police in the investigation could not have been the only one that tied Micheal Usifo Ataga and stabbed him to death.

Barrister Franklin said Micheal Usifo Ataga is the third son out of the four children the parents had, adding Usifo Ataga is someone who always like to do business.

He said Micheal Usifo Ataga was stabbed at the stomach and the cut was so deep and wide that the mortuary attendant in his present stuck two of his fingers through the hole into the dead body.

Franklin said when he looked at the way and manner his cousin brother was stabbed deliberately and repeatedly at the Jugular and other parts of the body, he looked at the dead body again 5 times and looked at Chidinma Ojukwu, he concluded it’s not possible the 21 year old lady (as at 2021) was merely the one that carried out the killing.

Franklin Usu statement is considered more important at the moment when many Nigerians and the world were shocked yesterday (2021) to the media statement credited to the suspected killer, Chidinma Ojukwu, that she knows nothing about the killing of Micheal Usifo Ataga.

Chidinma Ojukwu in the most recent interview with Crimefighters reporter, said she went out to buy some food items and returning to the hotel room, she met Micheal Usifo Ataga lifeless on the ground with blood stain on the bed and other places in the room.

She said she could not scream to avoid being arrested. She again admitted that she withdraw money from Ataga bank account via the deceased ATM card after the death has occurred.

Chidinma Ojukwu said she changed her clothes before leaving the hotel room on that fateful day because there was blood stain on the former clothes she wore.

Chidinma Ojukwu could not give further clarification on how her clothes got stained with blood.

It could not also be ascertained if the CrimeFighters reporter was aware of the earlier confessional statements made by Chidinma Ojukwu to other media houses as there were no question cross examining the suspect former statements and the current U-turn.

OsazuwaAkonedo reports that the suspect Chidinma Ojukwu have submitted three versions or accounts over Micheal Usifo Ataga death.

When Chidinma Ojukwu was paraded before group of Journalists, she admitted killing Micheal Usifo Ataga but during a fight. She added that the deceased was even pushing her.

Unfortunately, the deceased friend issued a statement dismissing the look at like right to self defence story of Chidinma Ojukwu, adding that Ataga was tied, forced to provide his company account details and millions of naira was on the process being moved to unknown account untill the customer bank blocked the account and terminated the trasanction process, and Ataga was subsequestly stabbed repeatedly to death.

Thereafter, Chidinma Ojukwu in an interview with NTA reporter, admitted that she tied Micheal Usifo Ataga hands while he was at sleep and stabbed him repeatedly to death when arguement occurred.

The third version which is the latest of Chidinma Ojukwu accounts, is that she know nothing about Micheal Usifo Ataga’s death. She came back to the hotel room and met him lifeless. She secretly left the hotel to avoid arrest.