Chidinma Ojukwu, the suspect in the murder of Usifo Ataga, Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, had a sexual relationship with her foster father, Onoh Ojukwu.
Olusegu Bamidele, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, disclosed this Tuesday to a Lagos High Court sitting in Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, while being cross-examined by Chidinma’s lawyer, Onwuka Egwu, during trial-within-trial.
Chidinma is standing trial for the murder of Ataga who died on June 15, 2021.
She is charged with murder, stealing, and forgery alongside Chioma Egbuchu, her sister, and one Adedapo Quadri.
Bamidele, who is a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) serving with the homicide unit of the state criminal Investigating department (SCID) Yaba, while testifying in the trial on October 29, 2022 had narrated to the court the findings of his investigation team and how Chidinma confessed to killing Ataga during a scuffle in his hotel room.
At the instance of Chidinma’s legal team, the court ordered a trial-within-trial to ascertain whether Chidinma’s statement was made under duress and adjourned the matter till Tuesday.
During cross-examination, Bamidele told the court his team stumbled on intelligence that Chidinma was involved in an amorous relationship with his foster father, Ojukwu.
“In the course of our detention of Mr. Ojukwu, we stumbled on intelligence that there was an amorous (sexual) relationship between the first defendant (chidinma) and her foster father.
“That gave us a hint that Mr. Ojukwu was not sincere and that he was aware of the offense that Chidinma is standing trial for today.
“We found that she was concealing the real information. We also established that the mother of the first defendant never approved the custody of the first defendant to Ojukwu and it was on this basis that we charged him to court alongside the three defendants at the Magistrate Court so that the court can decide if he should get bail or not,” he said.
The case was adjourned till November 10