By Prosper Mene
In a courtroom at the Lagos State High Court in Tafawa Balewa Square, Chidinma Ojukwu, a former 300-level Mass Communication student at the University of Lagos, testified on Monday that fear prevented her from reporting the death of Super TV CEO Michael Usifo Ataga in June 2021. The 23-year-old, standing trial for Ataga’s alleged murder, told Justice Yetunde Adesanya that her reluctance stemmed from stories of whistleblowers being wrongly accused. “I had read of incidents where people reported crimes and ended up being accused themselves,” she said, her voice steady but somber. “I also thought of calling the gateman again while I was at the staircase of the apartment, but I ended the call out of fear.”
Ojukwu’s testimony, part of her defense that began on April 17, 2025, shows a complex portrait of a young woman caught in a high-profile tragedy that has gripped Nigeria. Charged with murder, stealing, and forgery alongside co-defendants Adedapo Quadri and her sister Chioma Egbuchu, Ojukwu recounted the events following her discovery of Ataga’s lifeless body in a Lekki short-let apartment on June 15, 2021. She described returning from buying food, finding blood on the floor, and seeing Ataga with no pulse. In a panic, she said, she fled, taking belongings including a brown envelope with Ataga’s documents and jewelry, later selling a MacBook for N495,000 at Computer Village.
The case, which has unfolded over nearly four years, raises questions about fear, trust, and systemic challenges in Nigeria’s justice system. Ojukwu’s claim of coercion during her police interrogation adds another to the layer. She alleged that Officer Bamidele threatened to detain her family, including her 10-year-old sister, if she did not comply, forcing her to rewrite her statement after her initial one was torn up. “I told him I knew my rights and wanted a lawyer present,” she said, claiming her request was denied.
Ojukwu’s narrative contrasts with earlier reports. In 2021, she initially confessed to stabbing Ataga, a claim she later retracted, asserting she found him dead and fled out of fear. Forensic evidence, including DNA on her red dress matching Ataga’s blood, has linked her to the scene, though she denies involvement in his death. The prosecution’s case, bolstered by testimony from DSP Olusegun Bamidele, alleges she transferred N50,000 from Ataga’s account post-mortem, a detail corroborated by the apartment owner, Nkechi Mogbo. Yet, Ojukwu’s insistence that she acted out of panic, not malice, invites scrutiny of her motives and the pressures she faced.
Public sentiment, reflected on platforms like X, reveals a divided response. Some users, like @osquare78, express frustration over prolonged adjournments, noting Ojukwu’s time in Kirikiri prison, while others, like @vanguardngrnews
, amplify her testimony, fueling debates about her culpability. For many Nigerians, Ojukwu’s story acts as a cautionary tale of vulnerability in a system where reporting a crime can lead to accusation, particularly for those without social or economic clout and stance.
