Chidinma confessed to spiking Ataga’s drink, says witness

A prosecution witness, DSP Olusegun Bamidele, in the ongoing alleged murder trial of Chidinma Ojukwu, on Monday, told a Lagos State High Court at the Tafawa Balewa Square, that it was during investigation that they found out that the Super TV CEO, Michael Ataga’s drink was spiked.

Ojukwu, a 300-level, Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos, is standing trial for the alleged offence alongside one Adedapo Quadri and her sister, Chioma Egbuchu.

At the last adjourned date, Bamidele told the court that during his investigation, Ojukwu confessed that she spiked Ataga’s drink.

The witness said he believed the first defendant’s confession.

But, at the resumed hearing on Monday, the witness who was cross-examined by Quadri’s lawyer, Mr Babatunde Busari, was asked to show where it was written in the statements of the first and second defendants that the deceased’s drink was spiked before his demise.

Bamidele answered that it was established during the course of the investigation.

The witness also told the court that Ojukwu and the deceased smoked some substance and had alcoholic drinks together.

He said the deceased and Ojukwu ordered more sets of the substance when the first set finished.

Bamidele said the first defendant made it known in her statement.

He said it was a dispatch rider who delivered the additional substance that Ojukwu and the late Ataga smoked.

The witness, however, said that all efforts made to get the dispatch rider proved abortive.

After listening to the cross-examination, Justice Yetunde Adesanya adjourned the case until February 20 for continuation of trial.

Ojukwu and the two others were arraigned on October 12, 2021, by the Lagos State Government.

Ojukwu and Quadri are facing the first to eight counts bordering on conspiracy, murder, and stabbing while her sister, Egbuchu, is facing the ninth count of stealing an iPhone 7 belonging to the late Ataga.