Okike Obaji, the Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) account officer to Usifo Ataga, the late Super TV CEO, says the bank placed a no-debit restriction on his account immediately after his death.
According to NAN, Obaji spoke on Thursday while giving evidence at the ongoing trial of Chidinma Ojukwu.
Chidinma is standing trial for the alleged murder of Ataga.
She is charged with murder, stealing, and forgery alongside Chioma Egbuchu, her sister, and one Adedapo Quadri.
During the trial on Thursday, Obaji told the Lagos high court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square that the bank got to know about Ataga’s death via social media on June 17, 2021.
Ataga was said to have been murdered on June 15, 2021.
The account officer was led in evidence by A. O. Oluwafemi, deputy director of public prosecution.
He said the restriction was introduced by the bank to protect Ataga’s assets.
“The bank placed a no-debit restriction on the account of Usifo Ataga, thereby ensuring that other transactions out of the account did not occur while waiting further confirmation for advice,” he said.
When asked about the marked column in the bank statements of the deceased which he presented to the court, Obaji said the marked remarks indicated the details of some specific transactions entries on June 16, 2021.
He said that on June 16, 2021 there was a debit transaction of N50,000 between Ataga and Nkechi Mogbo, via GTB.
Mogbo is the owner of the apartment where Ataga was murdered.
During cross-examination, the witness said the only bank transaction made by Ojukwu, was in June 2021 and the amount was N50,000.
Obaji said the transactions were three in number and were made from Usifo Ataga’s account to Ojukwu’s, between June 13 and 14, 2021.
He testified that on June 16, there were multiple transactions of N20,000 which were not debit transactions but credit.
Obaji said from the remarks, the credit transactions were done through USSD bank codes.
He also testified that there were two debit transactions of N101,200, made on June 16, 2021, to PayCom Digital Nigeria Ltd and Capricon Digital.
He said that the two debit transactions were made through an automated teller machine (ATM) on the same day and the same amount.
Obaji told the court that the transactions that were made to Ojukwu were through ATM.
He added that only someone who had Ataga’s pin number could have carried out such transactions.
Yetunde Adesanya, the judge, thereafter adjourned the case till May 9 for the continuation of trial.
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