Chidinma transferred N5m from Ataga’s account – Witness

A prosecution witness, DSP Olusegun Bamidele, has told the Lagos High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos State, how a murder suspect, Chidinma Ojuwku, allegedly transferred N5m from the account of the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, Usifo Ataga, on June 15, 2021, the day he was murdered.

Ojuwku, a 300-level student of Mass Communication Department, University of Lagos, is standing trial alongside her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, and one Adedapo Quadri, on nine counts over the alleged murder of Ataga.

At the resumed trial on Thursday, the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs Adenike Oluwafemi, tendered Ataga’s Access Bank account statement while leading Bamidele in evidence.

Bamidele said the police requested Ataga’s Access Bank statements to trace his transactions.

He said, “On June 16, 2021, four transactions of N20,000 were made from the deceased’s account. On June 17, another withdrawal of N20,000 was made five times and the remarks were transfer between customers.

“On the same June 16, N50,000 was transferred to Nkech Mogbo, another N11,200 of fund was also transferred to Caprical Capital. On the same June 16, another N50,000 was transferred from Ataga’s account to Mogbo, and another N93,000 transferred from Ataga’s GTB to his Access Bank account.

“A transfer of N110,000 was debited from the deceased’s account on June 18, 2021. On June 19, 2021, a transfer of N20,000 was made four times on that same day. Another transfer of N20,000 was made five times and it was through USSD code.”

The witness also gave details of transactions on Ataga’s Guaranty Trust Bank account.

He said there were transfers of N10,000 and N105,000 to Ojukwu on June 13, 2021, adding that the former was paid to one Nkechi Mogbo for a short service apartment.

Bamidele said, “On that same June 13, there was a N13,000 purchase transaction at Ango Villa,  N14,200 transaction for purchase at Dwine Bar Global. On the same June 13, there was a transfer of N20,399.

“On June 14, 2021, there was N21,000 transfer from Ataga’s account to Ojukwu’s account and another transfer of N15,000 paid to Ojukwu. There was a N5,000 transaction that was made on June 14 and paid to Adiba Online choppy.”

The prosecution tendered Ojuwku’s written statements to the court to be admitted in evidence.

However, her counsel, Onwuka Egwu, objected, saying she did not make them voluntarily.

Egbuchu and Quadri’s counsel, Babatunde Busari and M. Abia-Bassey, did not object.

The prosecutor appealed to the court to conduct trial within trial for Ojukwu.

Justice Yetunde Adesanya adjourned the case till November 8 for trial within trial.

(Punch)