Chidinma Ojukwu, the former University of Lagos student on trial for the alleged murder of Super TV CEO Michael Usifo Ataga, told a Lagos State High Court on Tuesday that all her statements to the police during interrogation were false and made under duress.
In her continued defense before Justice Yetunde Adesanya, Chidinma stated that fear prevented her from speaking truthfully to the police.
“Because of the fear that the Investigating Police Officer, Mr. Bamidele, and his team put in me, I couldn’t say anything contrary to the narration he asked me to tell the Commissioner of Police,” she testified.
Read Also: Why I Didn’t Report Ataga’s Death To Police – Chidinma
Chidinma, along with Adedapo Quadri and her sister Chioma Egbuchu, faces charges related to stealing and forgery. They were arraigned on a nine-count charge in October 2021.
Recounting her arrest on June 23, 2021, and subsequent interrogation, Chidinma described how IPO Bamidele accessed her phone, questioned her about her laptop and visit to Computer Village, and inquired about the cannabis she and Ataga allegedly used.
She also denied having Ataga’s ATM card or knowing about withdrawals made from it.
Chidinma testified that after the initial interrogation, Bamidele instructed her to write a statement.
When she mentioned her previous statement and the absence of her lawyer, she claimed she was slapped.
She described being forced to write another statement while feeling unwell and being hurried by Bamidele, who eventually dictated the statement himself after deeming her too slow.
She alleged that the statement he wrote contained false information.
She further claimed that she was handcuffed to a chair during the interrogation and that Bamidele repeatedly instructed her on what to say to the Commissioner of Police the next day.
She narrated being taken to the CP’s office and recounting the dictated story out of fear.
She also described a subsequent encounter with journalists where she adhered to Bamidele’s instructions.
Chidinma also recounted a video recording session where she claimed Bamidele criticized her demeanor and instructed her on how to speak.
Later, at the station, she alleged being forced to write another statement by a female officer after a male officer struck her head on a table when she hesitated.
She stated that the content of this second statement was also untrue and that she signed it under duress before being returned to the cell.
“Nothing in the statement is true,” she told the court, explicitly denying the part about buying food from Blackbell Restaurant.
Justice Adesanya adjourned the case until May 7, 2025, for the continuation of the trial.
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