Chidinma Ojukwu, a former 300-level Mass Communication student at the University of Lagos and the prime suspect in the murder of Super TV CEO Michael Usifo Ataga, testified on Thursday before the Lagos High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square. In her testimony before Justice Yetunde Adesanya, Chidinma recounted the shocking moment she discovered Ataga’s lifeless body in a short-let apartment in Lekki on June 15, 2021.
Opening her defence, Chidinma told the court that after returning from purchasing food and drinks, she knocked on the door of the apartment but received no response. She pushed the door open and was confronted with a gruesome scene: blood stains on the floor and Ataga lying in a pool of blood.
“I dropped everything I was carrying and rushed to him,” she narrated emotionally, adding that his eyes were half-shut and he had no detectable pulse.
Under the guidance of her counsel, Mr. Onwuka Egwu, Chidinma gave detailed insight into her relationship with Ataga, which she said began in November 2020 through a mutual acquaintance named Fiyin, who was dating Ataga’s friend, James. She described Ataga as generous and supportive, stating that he had paid her tuition and contributed financially to her cosmetics business.
She further revealed that Ataga, who was originally from Edo State and lived in Victoria Garden City (VGC), worked in the media sector and had three children with his estranged wife based in Abuja.
Narrating the events leading up to Ataga’s death, Chidinma said that on June 13, 2021, Ataga had invited her to spend time with him to celebrate his upcoming birthday before he traveled to Abuja for a family event. Due to ongoing renovations at his VGC home, Ataga suggested they rent a short-let apartment in Lekki, a place he often used for meetings. Chidinma secured an apartment at 19 Adewale Street, off Ologolo Road, Lekki, which Ataga approved.
That evening, the pair met at the apartment, dined at Angle Villa restaurant, purchased wine, and returned to the apartment where they ate, drank, and smoked together.
On June 14, 2021, she said they slept late and upon waking, Ataga requested her to procure “loud” (a type of cannabis) and rohypnol. She said he transferred ₦15,000 for that purpose and an additional ₦25,000 for food. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, she was delayed for about two hours while buying the meals.
By June 15, Chidinma said Ataga again requested more cannabis but asked her to cover the cost since he was unable to make a transfer at the time. He also gave her money to purchase food and juice. While attempting to reach him for clarification about his request for okra soup, she was unable to get through to him.
Upon her return to the apartment, she found the door partly open and noticed blood on the floor. Pushing it open fully, she discovered Ataga’s body, motionless and covered in blood.
“I checked for his pulse but found none,” she told the court. In panic, she explained, she wiped blood off her body, changed her clothes, and hurriedly packed her belongings, including a brown envelope containing Ataga’s bank statements, ID cards, and documents belonging to one Mary Johnson. She also took some of his jewellery before leaving the premises in a cab.
Justice Yetunde Adesanya has adjourned the trial to 28 April 2025 for Chidinma to conclude her testimony and for further proceedings.
