Usifo Ataga, the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, was murdered, and the main suspect, Chidinma Ojukwu, has alleged that the police coerced him to write confessional statements.
Chidinma testified before the Lagos High Court, which was seated in Tafawa Balewa Square, that the two written statements she submitted to the police station were torn and that she was compelled to sign those that the officers had prepared for her.
Chidinma testified that ASP Olusegun Bamidele wrote a statement, asked her to rehearse what he had written, and forced her to narrate the same to the Commissioner of Police during a trial within a trial to determine the voluntariness of her statements, the defense told Justice Yetunde Adesanya.
Recall that Bamidele testified as the first prosecution witness in the trial within trial before the court. Bamidele is a deputy superintendent of police and is currently assigned to the state criminal division’s homicide section.
Chidinma, who testified as the first witness in her own defense, claimed that from June 23 until the morning of June 24, when she was escorted out of the interrogation room and sent to Ikeja, her hands had been tied to the chair in which she sat.
According to the witness, she entered the sitting room after exiting the bedroom and greeted them before they inquired as to her identity. She replied that she was Chidinma.
Chidinma explained to the court during questioning from her attorney, Mr. Onwuka Egwu, how the police officers arrived at her Yaba home on June 23, 2021. Her 10-year-old sister came to tell her that there were men in the sitting room inquiring about her when she claimed to be in her room at their home at No. 47 Akinwunmi Street in Alagomeji Yaba.
She claims that when they inquired about the location of Mr. Ataga’s phone and Range Rover car, she said she was unsure of the answers.
My Dad (her foster father, Onoh Ojukwu) walked out and requested, “Please tell me who you are,” as soon as my little sister picked up the phone to contact him. They claimed to be police officers from Panti police station and that they had come to the house to search and arrest me.
“They requested that I go inside and bring the phone once more. I admitted that I had no idea where the car or phone were.
The woman claimed, “One of the policeman raised his hand and slapped me. My Dad yelled you can’t slap my daughter in my house. The policemen tried to enter the room from the passage,”
In response, Justice Adesanya requested Chidinma’s lawyer to advise her. The Deputy Director of Public Prosecution, Adenike Oluwafemi, objected, stating Chidinma was providing evidence on the case rather than evidence on how her statement was obtained.
Chidinma described how she was kidnapped from their living room and placed in handcuffs before being driven away in the police car.
She stated, “As I was getting into the car, I told my Dad to phone my attorney, Mr. Egwu, our family attorney.
“At the station, I went into the DCP’s office, where Mr. Razak Oseni was questioning me together with other police officers. When my father arrived, the DCP told him to stop and let his men finish their work.
We returned to my house before returning to the DCP’s office, where I was questioned before admitting that I knew nothing about Mr. Ataga’s death. At that point, they produced the video that was shown in court.
“The IPO, Mr. Bamidele took me to the interrogation room with Mr. Chris after the DCP instructed me to make my statement, and I was then given a blank statement form and instructed to write down what transpired.
I had hardly begun to write when Bamidele grabbed my left hand and chained it to the chair. In the middle of drafting my statement at the DCP’s office, Mr. Bamidele took it from me, read it, and declared that this was not what actually transpired.
“I informed him, Sir, that what transpired is what I’m writing about. I told him before I began drafting the statement that I had asked my Dad to call my lawyer and that he could kindly ask his father if he had done so. The moment he indicated that my Dad was in their custody and was unable to phone, I began to write the statement.
“When he took the statement I was giving him and remarked that this is not what actually happened. I said to him, “Sir, this is what transpired, and this is what I am writing. Mr. Jemiyo gave me two slaps on the back.”
The only person facing me was Bamidele, while Jemiyo and Chris were seated in the back. He predicted that you would write the truth.
He handed me another blank statement form and tore up every statement I had typed. I informed him, “Sir, you tore the paper I was writing the truth on.” He threatened to charge my family, including my father, my sister, 10, and a relative in this murder case if I didn’t comply.
“He (Bamidele) pulled out his phone, played the footage of the apartment’s crime scene, and displayed images of Mr. Ataga’s corpse. When he stated, “Now you’re going to write,” I immediately got to work. He asked why I was taking so long to write the statement’s introduction before giving me another thump on the back.
“I informed him that I was feeling under the weather and required some rest. There was no time for that, Bamidele remarked. He started writing on the statement form after which Chris shackled both of my hands to the chair.
the trial.
He asked me questions in the start of the statement, but then he stopped. After he was finished, he read the statement to me, and I informed him that this was not what had actually occurred. He said that if you don’t say this, my family will face charges.
“He read the statement to me again and instructed me to practice it so that when I was taken to the CP’s office tomorrow (June 24, 2021), when asked, that is what I should answer. Then he left me there, which was approximately midnight.
When I was hesitant to sign, Bamidele returned the following morning with Chris, who advised me to do so because no one was coming for me and they would give me with a competent government attorney.
When asked if she could recall some of the questions the IPO had put to her, Chidinma recalled being questioned for her name, where she is from, where she currently resides, how she met Ataga, how long she stayed in the flat, and when she departed, among other information.
She claimed that on the morning of June 24, when Bamidele and Chris arrived to get her to sign the statement, the shackles were taken off.
“I was taken from the interrogation room after signing the statement, given water to wash my face, and then we got in the car and went to Ikeja.
“When we got to Ikeja, the other policemen showed up, so Bamidele and I were the only ones in the car. Do I read the statement to you again, he then inquired? He reread it to me and instructed me to narrate. That’s what you’ll say to the police commissioner after the narrative, he advised.
“Bamidele drove me to the CP’s door, and when the CP questioned me, I responded just as Bamidele had written.
“I picked up the pen, then officer Madeyinlo said I should start writing. I wrote the date, and my name, and she then tore out a piece of paper that has writing on it. “She (Madeyinlo) started dictating to me and said that I should write what she said. I started writing but then I couldn’t write properly because I was having a headache at the end of writing the statement she turned the back and asked me to sign,” Chidinma stated. During cross-examination by Oluwafemi, Chidinma affirmed that she signed the statements. She also repeated that the second statement was dictated while the first was written. When asked if she reported to anybody that she was slapped and that her head was hit on the table, She said,” I did not report to anybody because there was nobody to report to. When asked not even the CP, she said yes not even the CP.” After her testimony, Justice Adesanya directed the prosecution and the defence to each file their written addresses in the trial within a trial, within 14 days. The court then adjourned the case to January 11, 2023, for the adoption of final written addresses, in the trial withi
“After I was escorted to the press, we then drove back to Panti,” Chidinma added. Subsequently Bamidele announced that a video recording would be made, instructing the participants to recite everything that had been stated in the video as well as what he had written in the statement. The video was then recorded and played in court.
“I was returned to the cell, and later that day, on June 24, Oseni took me out of the cell and led me to an office where Madeyinlo and another female officer, Bola, were waiting.
“They instructed me to take a seat in the office, and Oseni then departed. I was given a blank statement form and instructed to fill it out. When Madeyinlo claimed that Jemiyo entered just as I was beginning to write a statement, I said, “Mama, I have already written a statement.” When I’m done writing, she added, “I’m hungry and I’m weary.”
Officer Jemiyo approached me as I was seated and watching, grabbed my head, and struck it against a wooden table before officer Bola left. You are not here to play, according to Jemiyo.
When I picked up the pen, officer Madeyinlo advised me to begin writing. She tore out a piece of paper with writing on it after I had written the date and my name on it.
“She (Madeyinlo) began speaking to me while telling me to write down what she said. When I finished drafting the statement, she turned around and asked me to sign, but I was unable to do so because of a headache, according to Chidinma.
Oluwafemi’s cross-examination led to Chidinma stating that she had signed the statements.
She emphasized once more that the first sentence was written while the second was dictated.
When questioned about whether she told anyone about getting slapped and having her head knocked on a table,
I didn’t report to anyone because there was no one to report to, she claimed. She responded, “Yes, not even the CP,” when asked.
Justice Adesanya instructed the prosecution and defense to submit their written addresses in the trial-within-a-trial within 14 days of her testimony.
The trial within the trial was subsequently delayed by the court to January 11, 2023, for the approval of closing written addresses.
