Abubakar Mohammed, the security man at the rented service apartment where Super TV Chief Executive Officer, Michael Usifo Ataga, was allegedly murdered, yesterday, narrated to the court how he recorded his conversation with Chidinma after the incident.
Mohammed, who was testifying before the Lagos High Court, Tafawa Balewa Square TBS, said that after his madam, the owner of the apartment, Nkechi Mogbo, had gone to SCID Panti, alongside the victim’s family, at about 6pm, on a Thursday, Chidinma Ojukwu, who had been calling him with private number, eventually called him with her personal number.
He said that the call only lasted for 10 seconds after which she changed to the private number and he thought of recording the conversation.
“Hello, hello, I said who is this? The first defendant said it’s me and I asked her why she was calling me with a private number; she said sorry, before then she had asked me whether the man’s car was still around. I asked which car and she said my Oga’s car, the black Range Rover,” the witness said.
Mohammed testified as the second prosecution witness (PW2) in the ongoing trial of Chidinma Ojukwu (first defendant) and two others: her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, and one Adedapo Quadri, over the alleged murder of the Super TV CEO.
The witness said that was how he knew that Chidnma was the one who came with the deceased to the studio service apartment.
He said he further asked her why she hadn’t returned since the Tuesday night she left and she said she went for a meeting. He then asked her how about the man and she said he was fine.
The witness said: “I told her that since she was not around, I could not go and knock on the man’s door. I asked her if the man was alive and she said yes. And I asked her when she would come back and she said she was coming. Then I told her to call me with her number, so I could save it and she said okay.” Mohammed, who was led in evidence in chief by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mrs Adeyinka Adeyemi, had earlier narrated to the court on Sunday, June 12, 2021, at about 5:30pm, how his madam (boss) called him on phone and informed him that a lady was coming to see the apartment.
He said that while he was at his duty post a lady (the first defendant) arrived in an Uber car and dropped in front of his gate, and then asked him if the house was number 19, Dr Adewale Oshin, and he said yes. She further asked if he was Abu and if his boss had called him, and he replied yes.
The witness said the first defendant asked him to show her the apartment; and while he was taking her around the apartment, his boss called him and instructed him not to give the key to the lady until she had paid, adding that few minutes later, his boss informed him that she had made payment so he could give her the key.
Mohammed also testified that around 10:30pm, a man (the deceased) came with a black colour Range Rover, adding that initially, he thought he was a guest of a neighbour who was having a party before the first defendant came and said “Oga open the gate”.
“The man asked me if there was any open shop around and I said no, that once it’s 10:30pm, no shop at Lekki remains open. So they went out and later came back.”
