Super TV CEO’s Murder: How we found deceased’s body – Police

 

A police inspector, Ibrahim Isiaka, on Thursday, testified before a high court in the TBS area of Lagos on how the body of Usifo Ataga, the chief executive officer of Super TV, was discovered by the police.

 

The police officer attached to the Maroko division in Lekki told the judge, Yetunde Adesanya, that the body was found when the apartment owner, one Mrs Nkechi, came to report the incident to the division on June 16, 2021, at 11:30 p.m.

 

Mr Ataga was allegedly killed by Chidinma Ojukwu, a 300-level Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos.

 

The undergraduate and two others, Adedapo Quadri and Chioma Egbuchu, are standing trial before Ms Adesanya

 

Testimony

At the resumed hearing on Thursday, the inspector said Mrs Nkechi reported that her security guard, one Abu, forced the occupant’s door open and discovered that he was lying down in a pool of his blood.

 

Mr Isiaka said a team of detectives “rushed to the scene of the crime and called the emergency at Yaba hospital and the corpse was evacuated.”

 

On June 17, in the morning, “due to the seriousness of the case the (former) commissioner of police ordered that the case be transferred to the homicide section in Panti,” Mr Isiaka said.

 

Describing the crime scene, he said “things were scattered in the apartment.” And the team lead (chief superintendent of police) picked some items like clothes and travelling bags.

 

Mr Isiaka said he made a statement and handed the case file to officers at Panti after the deceased was identified at the morgue.

 

“At the morgue, the corpse was brought out and he was on a stretcher. I discovered that there was blood at the back, he was lying on his back facing up,” he said.

 

 

Objection, ruling

The prosecutor, A.O Oluwafemi, applied to the court that the statement submitted by the witness to Panti be admitted in court as evidence. However, Babatunde Busari, the lawyer to the second defendant, Adedapo Quadri, objected to the evidence.

 

He described the statement as “extra-judicial and the rule that I understand is that it is generally not admissible.”

 

Mr Busari quoted two cases, one from the Supreme Court and the other from the Court of Appeal, adding that he will supply the citation later.

 

Mrs Oluwafemi told her colleague to state the reason for his objection while saying that “I’m certain it is admissible.”

 

Mr Busari responded “it is admissible from the defense standpoint.”

 

However, the court ruled that the witness is an officer and the statement is not an extrajudicial statement.

 

“The objection is faulty and I rule. The statement is marked exhibit E10,” the judge said.

 

Cross-examination.

“In your oral testimony before the court, you informed the court that one Nkechi came to your station on June 16, will you be surprised that the same Nkechi made her statement at 8:30 pm?” Onwuka Egwu, a lawyer for Ms Ojukwu asked.

 

“I may not be surprised with reasons,” the witness responded.

 

Mr Isiaka explained that the case was transferred to him around 11:30 p.m. as an IPO.

 

A further hearing is fixed for February 24, 25, and March 1, 2, and 3, 2022.