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HomeNewsAtaga’s Body Was Discovered In The Pool Of His Blood – Police

Ataga’s Body Was Discovered In The Pool Of His Blood – Police

An Investigative Police Officer, Mr Ibrahim Isiaka, on Thursday told a Lagos High Court, sitting at Tafa Balewa Square,TBS, how Super TV Chief Executive Officer, (CEO) Micheal Usifo Ataga’s body was found in the pool of his blood before it was evacuated.

Isiaka made this revelation in the ongoing trial of Chidinma Ojukwu, the alleged murder suspect of the late CEO of Super TV.

He told the court presided by Justice Yetunde Adesanya that when the police got the information of the incident at the Maroko Police Station at Lekki, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO)and the Divisional Crime Officer,(DCO), rushed down to the scene of crime and the DPO, immediately called emergency at Yaba General hospital, who came and evacuated the corpse.

While being led in evidence by the Deputy Director of Public Prosecution (DDPP), Mrs A. O. Oluwafemi, the witness further told the court that on June 16, 2021, he was on night duty when a case of murder was reported, at the Maroko Police Station.

Isiaka, the sixth prosecution witness, who gave evidence before Justice Yetunde Adesanya, said that, on June 16, 2021, at about 11:30pm, one Mrs Nkechi Mogbo, (the owner of the service apartment where Ataga was murdered), came to make a report of murder case.

He said that Mrs Nkechi Mogbo, told the police that her security guard one Abu, had informed her that some people lodged at
her facility, ( the short service apartment), at 19, Adewale Oshin Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, and when the cleaner went to clean the apartment they discovered a dead body.

The witness also told the court that in Mogbo’s report she stated that the security guard and the cleaner, after calling the occupants of the apartment and there was no response, they forced the door open and discovered that a man was lying down in his pool of blood.

Isiaka who said he has been in the Police Force, for 28 years, said that based on the nature of the case, on June 17, 2021, the DPO, said the case should be immediately transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti.

The witness further said; after the case file was transferred to Panti, a team of detectives from the Homicide section of Panti, asked him to follow them to the scene of the crime, adding that when they got there, the apartment door was opened and they discovered that things were scattered in the apartment.

He said “The team headed by a Chief Superintendent of Police, from Panti, found some items from the travelling bag of the deceased at the apartment and picked them, for investigation.

“I went back to Panti and from Panti, we went back to Yaba general hospital, for the identification of the corpse, when I got back to Panti, I made a statement and handed over the case file to Panti and they continued from there.”

He testified that when he visited the morgue, the corpse was brought out in a stretcher.

” I discovered that there was blood on his back, the deceased was lying down facing up, that was when he was identified as one Michael Usifo Ataga,” he said.

The Prosecuting counsel, Mrs A. O. Oluwafemi, however, sought to tender the witness’ statement as evidence but counsel to the second defendant, Mr Babatunde Busari, objected.

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Busari said that the statement was an extrajudicial statement (a statement made outside the court), therefore not admissible.

However, the other defendant’s counsel, Mr Onwuka Egwu for Chidinma and Mr O. A. Ogunsanya for Quadri, did not object to the tendering of the statement.

Justice Yetunde Adesanya, in a short ruling, said the objection failed and overruled it.

After the ruling, counsel for Chidinma cross-examined the witness.

The witness explained that the case was assigned to him by the Charge room officer, adding that he carried out his investigations subject to the instructions given to him by the DPO and DCO.

After the cross-examination, Justice Adesanya, adjourned the case until February 21, for continuation of trial.

Chidinma Ojukwua a 300-level Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos, UNILAG and two others are standing trial over Ataga’s murder.

The three defendants were arraigned on October 12 on a nine-count charge preferred against them by Lagos State Government.

Ojukwu and Quadri are facing the first to eight counts bordering on conspiracy, murder, stabbing, forgery, making of bank statements and stealing.

The third defendant, Egbuchu, is facing the ninth count of stealing iPhone 7 belonging to the late Ataga.

The first and second defendants were alleged to have conspired and murdered Ataga on June 15, 2021, by stabbing him severally with a knife on the neck and chest.

The alleged murder took place at 19, Adewale Oshin Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

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