“I Didn’t Report Ataga’s Death Because I Was Scared”—Chidinma Tells Court

“I Didn’t Report Ataga’s Death Because I Was Scared of Being Accused”—Chidinma Tells Court as She Details Events Before and After Super TV CEO’s Murder

Chidinma Ojukwu, a 300-level student of the University of Lagos, on Monday told a Lagos State High Court that fear stopped her from reporting the death of Super TV CEO, Michael Ataga, to the police.

Speaking before Justice Yetunde Adesanya at the court sitting in Tafawa Balewa Square, Chidinma explained that she panicked after discovering Ataga’s lifeless body. “I had read of incidents where people reported crimes and ended up being accused themselves,” she said. “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.”

Chidinma is standing trial alongside Adedapo Quadri and her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, on a nine-count charge including murder, theft, and forgery. They were arraigned on October 12, 2021.

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Opening her defence on April 17, 2025, she gave a detailed account of events from June 16 to 23, 2021. She testified that she noticed a WhatsApp message she had sent to Ataga was read, even after seeing his body. Multiple calls to his number went unanswered.

She said she reached out to a gateman named Abu, who first claimed Ataga had left the apartment but later admitted his car was still parked outside. “Judging by what Abu told me, I said to myself, what have I done?” she said, revealing that she then sent a message to Ataga saying, “Please forgive me. I didn’t mean to leave you in that state. I was very scared.”

On June 18, 2021, she took two laptops — a MacBook and an HP — to Computer Village. The MacBook, she said, was sold for N495,000 after she told the vendor it was a gift. She used the money from the sale and left the HP for repairs.

She also mentioned contacting Ataga again via SMS on June 19 and 20, 2021, due to network issues. On June 20, she invited her sister Chioma, who visited her on June 22 and was gifted an iPhone 7 Plus.

Chidinma told the court she was arrested on June 23, 2021. She claimed she was slapped by a police officer and taken with her father, who was also handcuffed, to the Panti police station.

“At the DCP’s office, I said I didn’t know about the death. I said I ran out of fear and took my things,” she recounted.

She alleged that police recovered her belongings, including laptops, phones, clothes, and ID cards, from her apartment. Chidinma further accused one officer, Bamidele, of coercing her into writing a statement without legal counsel. “He said no lawyer was coming and no one would be allowed to see me,” she said.

According to her, Bamidele threatened to arrest her family, including a 10-year-old sibling, and tore up her first statement, demanding another. He also showed her crime scene photos and claimed a robe found at the scene was used to tie Ataga a claim she denied. “I told him I couldn’t have tied Michael up. He was a huge man,” she said.

The trial was adjourned till April 29, 2025, for continuation.

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