A Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday adjourned till today proceedings in the trial of Chidinma Ojukwu for the murder of SuperTV owner Usifo Ataga following a dispute over his bank accounts.
Justice Yetunde Adesanya made the decision after Ojukwu’s lawyer Mr. Onwuka Egbu objected to Ataga’s statement of accounts sought to be tendered by the prosecution.
Ojukwu, a 300-level, Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos (Unilag), is facing trial for the offence alongside her sister, Chioma Egbuchu and one Adedapo Quadri.
At the commencement of proceedings, Mrs. A.O. Oluwafemi entered appearance for the prosecution, while Egbu, Mr. Babatunde Busari and Mr A.O. Ogunsanya appeared for Ojukwu, Quadri and Egbuchu.
Oluwafemi informed the court that she applied for Ataga’s statements of account through his account officer at Access Bank, Mr. Taofeek Lawal.
She introduced Taofeek, who presented two statements of account in both naira and dollar, as well as a certificate of identification for Ataga.
But Egbu opposed Oluwafemi’s attempt to tender the documents, describing it as an ambush.
He argued that the defence counsel ought to have been given copies of the documents before they could be tendered in court as evidence.
He prayed the court to direct the prosecution to make the documents available to the defence to enable them prepare for trial adequately, as well as time to study them.
First defendant Ojukwu and second defendant Quadri were alleged to have conspired and murdered Ataga on June 15, 2021, by stabbing him multiple times with a knife in the neck and chest.
The alleged murder took place at No. 19, Adewale Oshin Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.