Police: How we found Usifo Ataga in pool of own blood

Ibrahim Isaka, an investigative police officer, has narrated how Usifo Ataga, the late CEO of Super TV, was found in the pool of his blood.

According to NAN, Isiaka, the sixth prosecution witness, testified in the trial of Chidinma Ojukwu for the alleged murder of Ataga before a Lagos high court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square.

The witness said the police called the emergency unit at Yaba General Hospital to evacuate Ataga’s corpse.

Ojukwu is standing trial alongside her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, and one Adedapo Quadri for alleged murder, stealing, and forgery.

Isiaka, who said he had worked as a police personnel for 28 years, told the court that on June 16, 2021, a case of murder was reported at his place of work — Maroko police station.

According to him, at 11:30 pm, one Nkechi Mogbo came to the station and reported that a body was discovered at her short-service facility where people come over to lodge.

He testified that Mogbo narrated to the police that the security guard at the facility informed her that the body of a man who lodged in the facility was discovered lying in the pool of his blood.

The witness said that Mogbo also told the police that a cleaner in the facility went to clean the apartment but there was no response from the people who lodged there.

He added that the security guard and the cleaner forcefully opened the door and discovered Ataga in the pool of blood.

The witness said the police including the divisional police officer (DPO) and the divisional crime officer (DCO) went to the crime scene.

“The DPO immediately called the Emergency Unit at Yaba General Hospital, the hospital came and evacuated the corpse,” Isiaka said.

“The following morning, June 17, the commissioner of police advised that the case be transferred to the Homicide Section, Panti.”

He said that a police team from Panti asked him to follow some of his colleagues to the crime scene and he did.

Isiaka said the police found some clothes and a traveling bag in the apartment and collected the items for investigation.

He also said he wrote a statement and handed the case file to the police at Panti.

AO Oluwafemi, the prosecution counsel who is also the deputy director of Lagos state directorate public prosecutions (DPP), sought to tender the witness’ statement as evidence but Babatunde Busari, Quadri’s counsel, objected.

Busari said the statement was extrajudicial — a statement made outside the court — and, therefore, not admissible.

He cited some supreme court and appeal court decisions to support his objection.

Other defense counsel, Onwuka Egwu for Ojukwu, and OA. Ogunsanya for Egbuchu, did not object to tendering of the statement.

Yetunde Adesanya, the judge, however, overruled the objection, saying that it failed.

After the ruling, counsel to Ojukwu cross-examined the witness during which he testified that the case was assigned to him by a charge room officer.

He added that he carried out his investigations subject to instructions given to him by the DPO and DCO.

After the cross-examination, the judge adjourned the case until February 21 for continuation of the trial.

The three defendants were arraigned on October 12, 2021, on a nine-count charge preferred against them by the Lagos government.

Ojukwu and Quadri are facing the first to eight counts bordering on conspiracy, murder, stabbing, forgery, making of bank statements, and stealing.

Egbuchu, the third defendant, is facing the ninth count of stealing the iPhone 7 belonging to the late Ataga.