Chidinma denies stealing Ataga’s devices, claims they were hers in court

DDM News

A Lagos State High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square on Monday heard fresh testimony from Chidinma Ojukwu, the prime suspect in the 2021 murder of Super TV CEO, Usifo Ataga.

Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) reports that Ojukwu denied stealing the late businessman’s mobile phones and laptop, insisting in court that the devices belonged to her.

Ojukwu, a 23-year-old former Mass Communication student at the University of Lagos, told Justice Yetunde Adesanya that she was the rightful owner of a MacBook Pro 16-inch, Core i7 (2019 model), with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD, as well as an HP laptop, which she claimed were different from Ataga’s reported 13-inch 2020 MacBook Pro.

She said the receipt for her MacBook was among several personal items missing after police searched her home.

She admitted visiting a computer store on June 18, 2021, to sell the MacBook, which she claimed had been gifted to her by a man named Mr. Fredrick, whom she had not contacted since her arrest.

When questioned about allegedly switching Ataga’s phone pouch with a cheaper one worth ₦1,000, she claimed the pouch was hers and had appeared in a post on her Instagram account, @iamdorable.

Her lawyer, Onwuka Egwu, submitted screenshots of the post, which the court accepted as evidence

Ojukwu is standing trial with Adedapo Quadri and her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, on charges of murder, theft, and forgery related to Ataga’s death.

She stated that while with Ataga, she had an iPhone 11 Pro and another iPhone Xx, while an iPhone 7 was at home.

She presented a receipt for the iPhone Xx, which the court admitted as Exhibit P25.

She also confirmed ownership of a bag containing personal items, including ATM cards, a voter’s card, and a notepad.

Under cross-examination about call logs showing she made 15 calls between June 13 and 18, 2021, nine of which were to Quadri, Ojukwu confirmed the calls and said they were related to ongoing transactions.

She explained that a friend had requested help with getting a passport and driver’s license in May 2021.

During a call, she added Quadri to the conversation when he mentioned he had contacts who could assist with the process.

She claimed the calls were follow-ups regarding the delivery of those items.

She denied forging any documents, including bank statements, a driver’s license, or an international passport.

She confirmed that the two bank statements found by police were hers and authentic.

She also confirmed ownership of her real driver’s license and passport, but denied any knowledge of a license bearing the name “Mary Johnson.”

The court admitted the presented documents as exhibits and adjourned the case to October 6, 2025, for continuation of trial.

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook