DSP Olusegun Bamidele, a police investigator in the ongoing trial of Chidinma Ojukwu, the key suspect in the murder of Super TV CEO, Usifo Ataga, on Tuesday, November 8, informed the court that Chidinma was in a sexual relationship with her foster father, Onoh Ojukwu.
Bamidele made this disclosure while being cross-examined by Chidinma’s legal counsel, Mr Onwuka Egwu, during a trial within trial to determine the voluntaries of her confessional statements.
Chidinma, a 300-level UNILAG student, is currently facing trial for the murder of her deceased lover, Usifo Ataga, whom she was accused of stabbing multiple times with a knife on the neck and chest on June 15, 2021.
At the last court sitting, Bamidele narrated how Chidinma transferred the sum of N5 million from Usifo Ataga’s bank account after allegedly killing him. He also told the presiding judge how Chidinma’s handwritten statement was taken.
However, when the prosecution tried to admit the statement in court, Chidinma’s lawyer, Egwu objected to it, saying the statement was obtained by oppression, inducement intimidation and under duress and urged the court to conduct a trial within trial to determine its voluntariness.
At the next hearing on Tuesday, November 8, Bamidele narrated how Chidinma was arrested and interrogated by the police, and disclosed that she was having sex with her foster father.
His words,
“That night on June 23, 2021, the first team that visited came back with three people. The first defendant is Chidinma Ojukwu, her foster father, Onoh Ojukwu and an under-aged girl. That were the people I saw. I was in the second team that visited the address.”
He confirmed that Chidinma was rearrested on July 25 and kept in detention till August 19, 2021.
“Mr Ojukwu was not kept in the cell, he was kept in a protective room and he received and escorted visitors at will.
In the course of his staying with us, we stumbled on intelligence that there was an amorous (sexual) relationship between the first defendant and her foster father, and that gave us the impetus that Mr Ojukwu was not sincere in his statements with us as he was aware of the offence for which the first defendant is standing trial today.
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 can get bail.”
The case has been adjourned till November 10 for the continuation of the trial within trial.
