A Lagos High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square will on October 15, 2024, resume the trial of Chidinma Ojukwu, charged with the murder of the Super TV Chief Executive Officer, Michael Usifo Ataga.
Ojukwu, a 300-level Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos, is being prosecuted alongside her sister, Chioma Egbuchu and one Adedapo Quadri for the murder of Ataga.
The defendants were arraigned on October 12, 2021, by the Lagos State Government.
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Ojukwu 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.
Ojukwu and Quadri were 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 incident occurred at No. 19, Adewale Oshin Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
PUNCH Metro reports that before the ongoing court’s vacation, the prosecution had called 11 witnesses.
The 11th witness, Dr Richard Somiari, a forensic expert, had revealed to the court that the DNA blood sample found on Chidinma’s red dress matched that of the victim, Ataga.
Somiari, a director and consultant for the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, was led in evidence by the Lagos State Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs Adenike Oluwafemi.
He told the court that he had practised forensics for 15 years and had conducted over 500 forensic tests.
Somiari told the court that his office received 21 different items on different days from their DNA centre.
According to him, the items that were received for evidence included a stained red dress, an army green T-shirt, and a DNA sample from Chidinma Ojukwu.
He also told Justice Yetunde Adesanya that other items received were urine, blood, gastric content and byle which were retained for toxicology reports.
The witness said the goal was to create an evidence triangle to link the suspect to the crime scene and the victim.
Somiari said the DNA on the red dress matched that of the victim, Ataga but did not match that of Chidinma and the other suspects, Babalola Disu and Oluwatomi Dada.
The witness during cross-examination by the first defendant’s counsel, Mr Onwuka Egwu, told the court how the result of the toxicology report was forwarded to the office of the Attorney General of Lagos, Commissioner of Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions.
He, however, said not all forensic reports went through such a procedure.
When asked if he questioned the report given by Dr. Andrea Nuhu, in the United States of America, the witness said, “I have already said that I am not a toxicologist. It is a toxicologist that can do such.”
Egwu, however, requested the video of the crime scene to be played and the court granted it.
While the video was playing, he asked the witness whether the samples of blood on the cotton, the wall, the duvet, the white polo the victim was wearing, the chair, and a rug were tested.
The witness answered that the samples were not submitted.
He explained that the markers indicated in his report had nothing to do with the video.
Earlier, Somiari told the court that some samples were in storage but not tested.
The second defendant’s counsel, Mr Babatunde Busari, also cross-examined the witness.
He asked if any DNA sample was taken from the second defendant, Quadri, and the witness said no.
The counsel also asked the witness if he took part in the toxicology analysis which he answered no.
The third defendant’s counsel, Ms C. G. Ugochikwu, said she had no examination for the witness.
The Punch
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