“How I Found Usifo Ataga Dead in Lekki Apartment,” Chidinma Tells Court

• Chidinma Ojukwu on Thursday, testified in court that she discovered Super TV CEO, Usifo Ataga’s dead body at a short-let apartment in Lekki on June 15, 2021
• She detailed their relationship, which began in November 2020, and disclosed that Ataga had funded her education and cosmetics business
• However, the trial judge, Justice Yetunde Adesanya, adjourned the trial to April 28, 2025, for further proceedings

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

Lagos state - On Thursday, April 17, Chidinma Ojukwu, a university undergraduate and the prime suspect in the murder of Super TV CEO Michael Usifo Ataga, testified before a Lagos High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square.

She recounted how she discovered his lifeless body in a short-let apartment in Lekki on June 15, 2021.

As reported by Channels TV, the former 300-level Mass Communication student at the University of Lagos, who opened her defence before trial judge Justice Yetunde Adesanya, stated that she had returned from buying food and drinks, knocked on the door but received no response.

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She then pushed it open, only to find blood on the floor and Ataga lying in a pool of blood.

“I dropped everything and rushed to him,” she said, adding that his eyes were half-shut and he had no pulse.

“I saw blood stains, pushed the door open, and saw Michael on the floor, covered in blood. I checked for a pulse—there was none.”

In a panic, she said she wiped the blood off herself, changed clothes, and packed her belongings, including a brown envelope containing Ataga’s bank statements, ID cards, and documents belonging to one Mary Johnson. She also took some of his jewellery and left the apartment in a cab.

Chidinma clears air on relationship with Ataga

Led in evidence by her lawyer, Mr Onwuka Egwu, Chidinma detailed her relationship with Ataga, which began in November 2020.

She explained that they met through a mutual friend, Fiyin, who was dating Ataga’s friend, James. She described Ataga as kind and supportive, claiming he had paid her school fees and helped fund her cosmetics business.

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According to Chidinma, Ataga told her he was from Edo state, lived in Victoria Garden City, worked in the media industry, and had three children with his estranged wife, who resided in Abuja.

Justice Adesanya has adjourned the case to April 28, 2025, for Chidinma to conclude her testimony and for the continuation of the trial.

Read more about Usifo Ataga's murder

• Lagos high court orders Chidinma Ojukwu’s co-defendants to open defence
• Usifo Ataga's murder: Expert discloses forensic result of blood on Chidinma's Cloth
• How Chidinma transferred money from Ataga's account

Murder case of former Super TV CEO Usifo Ataga

Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that the case garnered so much attention because of the young woman at the centre of it all, Chidinma Onoh Ojukwu.

The UNILAG student was accused of killing Usifo Ataga, who at the time was her lover, for personal gain. Chidinma was arrested on the 23rd of June 2021 and has since been in jail while her lawyers battle her case in court.

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There have been different twists and turns about the case since it kicked off. With the case finally drawing to a verdict, the latest details of the court proceedings will be published on this platform.

Source: Legit.ng