A 300-level student of the University of Lagos, Chidinma Ojukwu, who is standing trial for the alleged murder of Super TV CEO, Michael Usifo Ataga, has told the Lagos State High Court that fear prevented her from reporting the incident to the police.
Chidinma, on Monday, continued her defence before Justice Yetunde Adesanya at Tafawa Balewa Square.
According to her, she had read stories where individuals who reported crimes ended up being accused.
“I thought of calling the gateman again because I had called him while at the staircase of the apartment, but I ended the call immediately because I was scared,”; she said.
Recounting her activities on 16 June 2021, she said, “I was going through my phone on WhatsApp and noticed that the message I sent to Michael had been read, and he appeared online.
“I called his number several times, but the calls were declined. I became confused.”;
Chidinma claimed she then called a certain Abu, who operated the generator and water pump at the short-let apartment, to ask about Michael.
“That man wey I come with, you don see am yesterday?”; she said she asked.
Abu reportedly replied, “I see am yesterday, him drive comot,”; but later, the gateman informed her that Ataga’s car was still at the premises.
Chidinma, who was becoming increasingly worried at this point, then sent Michael a WhatsApp message saying, “Please Michael, forgive me. I didn’t mean to leave you in that state. I was very scared.”;
She added, “After sending that message, I discovered I had been blocked.”;
Chidinma told the court she was arrested by four or five policemen on 23 June 2021.
“When I said I didn’t have anything belonging to the deceased, one of the policemen slapped me,”; she claimed.
She added that her father intervened, but they were both taken to the police station.
