The audio recording of a phone conversation between Chidinma Ojukwu and the security guard, Abubakar Mohammed, at the rented short-let service apartment where Michael Ataga, the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, was allegedly murdered, was Tuesday heard by the court.
In the audio recording that was played, the court heard Ojukwu saying “hello” while Mohammed also responded by saying “hello, who is this? The first defendant said “it is me”, and then she asked the security guard about Ataga’s car.
She asked the security man “Is the car around? To which the guard replied ‘’which car.’’ Chidinma said, ‘’that my oga car, the black Range Rover.”
The court also heard Mohammed telling the first defendant that, as she was not around, he could not go and knock on the man’s door. He then asked her if the man was alive and she replied that Ataga was alive.
Earlier, the Lagos State Deputy Director for Public Prosecutions, Mrs Adenike Oluwafemi, asked the ninth prosecution witness, Deputy Superintendent of Police Olusegun Bamidele, to confirm his testimony on May 9, where he told the court about the security guard’s interaction and conversation with the first defendant.
Bamidele confirmed the evidence he gave before the court and how he had testified that the security guard transferred the audio conversation to his Infinix Hot 4 smartphone.
Justice Adesanya adjourned the case to October 6, 2022, for the continuation of the trial.
Chidinma Ojukwu is standing trial on charges of murder, theft, and forgery alongside her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, and one Adedapo Quadri before the Lagos High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square. The three defendants were arraigned on October 12, 2021, on a nine-count charge preferred against them by the Lagos State Government.
Ojukwu and Quadri are facing the first to eight counts bordering on conspiracy, murder, stabbing, forgery, making of bank statements and stealing.
The third defendant, Egbuchu, is facing the ninth count, stealing an iPhone 7 belonging to the late Ataga.
Ojukwu and Quadri are alleged to have conspired and murdered Ataga on June 15, 2021, by stabbing him several times with a knife on the neck and chest.
The alleged murder took place at 19, Adewale Oshin Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos State.
