The trial of Chidinma Ojukwu, charged with murdering Super TV CEO Michael Usifo Ataga, will resume at the Lagos High Court in Tafawa Balewa Square on October 15, 2024....READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE ▶▶
Ojukwu, a 300-level Mass Communication student at the University of Lagos, is being tried alongside her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, and Adedapo Quadri.
The Lagos State Government first arraigned the defendants on October 12, 2021. Ojukwu and Quadri face multiple charges, including conspiracy, murder, and stabbing, while Egbuchu is charged with stealing an iPhone 7 from Ataga.
The charges stem from an incident on June 15, 2021, when Ataga was allegedly attacked and fatally stabbed multiple times at No. 19, Adewale Oshin Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
Before the court’s current recess, the prosecution had presented 11 witnesses. Among them, Dr. Richard Somiari, a forensic expert from the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, testified that the DNA from a blood sample on Chidinma Ojukwu’s red dress matched that of the victim, Michael Usifo Ataga.
Dr. Somiari, who has 15 years of forensic experience and has conducted over 500 forensic tests, was introduced as evidence by Adenike Oluwafemi, the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions for Lagos State.
He detailed that his office received 21 items over several days for analysis, including a stained red dress, an army green T-shirt, and a DNA sample from Ojukwu. Additionally, items such as urine, blood, gastric content, and bile were collected for toxicology reports.
Dr. Somiari explained that the purpose of gathering this evidence was to establish a connection between the suspect, the crime scene, and the victim. He confirmed that the DNA on the dress matched Ataga’s but did not match Chidinma Ojukwu or the other suspects, Babalola Disu and Oluwatomi Dada.
During cross-examination by Onwuka Egwu, the counsel for the first defendant, Dr. Somiari clarified that the toxicology report results were sent to the Attorney General of Lagos, the Commissioner of Police, and the Director of Public Prosecutions, though not all forensic reports follow this procedure.
Speaking on 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 requested that the crime scene video be played, and the court approved this request.
As the video was shown, Egwu inquired whether blood samples found on various items, including cotton, a wall, a duvet, the victim’s white polo shirt, a chair, and a rug, had been tested.
The witness confirmed that these samples were not submitted for analysis and noted that the markers referenced in his report were unrelated to the video.
Earlier, Dr. Somiari had mentioned that some samples were stored but not tested. During cross-examination, Babatunde Busari, representing the second defendant, Adedapo Quadri, asked if any DNA samples were collected from Quadri, to which Dr. Somiari replied in the negative.
Busari also questioned whether Dr. Somiari was involved in the toxicology analysis, and he confirmed he was not.
The third defendant’s counsel, C. G. Ugochikwu, stated that she had no questions for the witness.
