Chidinma Ojukwu, the 300-level University of Lagos student accused of murdering Super TV CEO, Michael Usifo Ataga, gave a chilling account before the Lagos High Court on Thursday, describing how she discovered his bloodied body in a short-let apartment in Lekki on June 15, 2021.
Appearing before Justice Yetunde Adesanya at the Tafawa Balewa Square annex, the prime suspect opened her defence with a vivid narration of the events leading to Ataga’s death.
Chidinma told the court that she had stepped out to buy food and drinks. Upon returning, she knocked several times on the apartment door, but there was no response. She eventually pushed the door open and was met with a gruesome scene.
“I dropped everything and rushed to him,” she said. “His eyes were half-shut, and he had no pulse. He was lying in a pool of blood.”
Led in evidence by her lawyer, Onwuka Egwu, Chidinma recounted her relationship with Ataga, which began in November 2020 through a mutual friend. She said Ataga had been generous—paying her tuition and supporting her cosmetics business.
She described their time together in the Lekki apartment, which she rented for their rendezvous. According to her, Ataga had requested “loud” (a slang for cannabis) and rohypnol on June 14, which he paid for. On the following day, he again asked for cannabis but was unable to send money. He gave her cash for food instead.
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After unsuccessful attempts to clarify the soup he wanted via phone, she returned to the apartment to discover his lifeless body.
“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,” she said.
In a state of panic, Chidinma said she cleaned herself, changed clothes, and packed her belongings—including some of Ataga’s documents, bank statements, and jewellery—before leaving in a cab.
Justice Adesanya adjourned the matter to April 28, 2025, for continuation of the trial and conclusion of Chidinma’s testimony.