The hearing of a no- case submission in the ongoing trial of Chidinma Ojukwu, charged with the murder of the Super TV Chief Executive Officer, Michael Usifo Ataga, was on Tuesday stalled due to the absence of the third defendant's counsel.
Miss Ojukwu, a 300-level Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos,is standing trial before the Lagos State High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square.
Chidinma, alongside one Adedapo Quadri are facing eight counts bordering on conspiracy, murder, and stabbing while her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, is facing the ninth count of stealing an iPhone 7 belonging to the deceased.
usifo ataga murder trial: Court to hear chidinma's no- case submission Dec 5
The hearing of a no- case submission in the ongoing trial of Chidinma Ojukwu, charged with the murder of the Super TV Chief Executive Officer, Michael Usifo Ataga, was on Tuesday stalled due to the absence of the third defendant's counsel.
Miss Ojukwu, a 300-level Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos,is standing trial before the Lagos State High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square.
Chidinma, alongside one Adedapo Quadri are facing eight counts bordering on conspiracy, murder, and stabbing while her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, is facing the ninth count of stealing an iPhone 7 belonging to the deceased.
The first and second defendants were alleged to have conspired and murdered Mr Ataga on June 15, 2021, by stabbing him several times with a knife in the neck and chest.
The incident occurred at No. 19, Adewale Oshin Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
The prosecution had called 11 witnesses during trial and closed its case, to enable the defence to open its case.
But instead of the defence opening its case the second and third defendants filed a no-case submission.
During the prosecution's case, Chidinma had testified in a trial- within - trial that she was slapped and forced to sign statements written by police officers in the state.
She told Justice Yetunde Adesanya that the officers including Assistant Superintendent of Police, Olusegun Bamidele, and Olufunke Madeyinlo, told her to sign statements against her will, after tearing the statement she wrote.
But on May 4, 2023, Justice Adesanya, ruled that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that she made the statements voluntarily and not under duress.
The judge held,“The videos tendered in court did not display any intimidation towards the defendant while she was writing her statements.
"The voice of the Investigating Police Officer was clear and audible. It did not show any form of intimidation.”
However, at the resumed hearing of the no-case submission filed by Chioma Egbuchu and Adedapo Quadri, the case couldn't go on as Chioma Egbuchu's counsel C. J. Jiakponna, was absent from court, though he had written to tell the court he was in another court.
The second defendant's counsel Babatunde Busari, in his response to the letter told the court that his client's no-case submission application was ready and that it doesn't concern the third defendant.Mr Busari said that Quadri's no- case submission is dated May 5, 2024 and that they received a reply from the prosecution on June 19, 2024.
However the judge said she could not hear the case since the third defendant's lawyer was not in court.
Consequently Justice Adesanya adjourned the case till December 5, 2024, for the hearing of the no-case submiss
Ojukwu and Quadri were alleged to have conspired and murdered Ataga on June 15, 2021, by stabbing him several times with a knife in the neck and chest.
The incident occurred at No. 19, Adewale Oshin Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
The prosecution had called 11 witnesses during trial and closed its case, to enable the defence to open its case.
But instead of the defence opening it's case the second and third defendants filed a no-case submission.
During the prosecution's case, Ojukwu had testified in a trial- within - trial that she was slapped and forced to sign statements written by policemen in the state.
She told Justice Yetunde Adesanya that policemen including Assistant Superintendent of Police, Olusegun Bamidele, and Olufunke Madeyinlo, told her to sign statements against her will.
Ojukwu said Bamidele told her to narrate the statement he wrote to the state Commissioner of Police after tearing the statement she wrote.
But on May 4, 2023, Justice Yetunde Adesanya, ruled that the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that Ojukwu made the statements voluntarily and not under duress.
The judge held,“The videos tendered in court did not display any intimidation towards the defendant while she was writing her statements.
"The voice of the Investigating Police Officer was clear and audible. It did not show any form of intimidation.”
Ojukwu had, through her counsel, Mr Onwuka Egwu, alleged that she made the statements under duress, alleging that she was slapped and forced to sign the statements.
However, at the resumed hearing of the no-case submission filed by Chioma Egbuchu and one Adedapo Quadri, the case couldn't go on as Egbuchu's counsel C. J. Jiakponna, was absent from court.
Miss Egbuchu's counsel sent in a letter to the court asking for an adjournment as he went for another matter at the Federal High Court.
The second defendant's counsel Babatunde Busari, in his response to the letter told the court that his client's no-case submission application was ready and that it doesn't concern the third defendant.
But, the judge said she could not hear the case since the third defendant's lawyer was not in court.
Consequently Justice Adesanya adjourned the case till December 5, 2024, for the hearing of the no-case submiss