By KUNLE AKINRINADE

· How police ICT unit tracked suspect

· Detained father released

A video believed to be the last moments of the murdered Super TV chief executive officer, Usifo Ataga, and his lover, Chidinma Ojukwu, in a restaurant has gone viral.

Chidinma, a 21-year-old undergraduate of the University of Lagos, told on Thursday how she stabbed Ataga to death in their love nest in Lagos.

Another video has also emerged of her in what is said to be her shop at Yaba, Lagos, chatting and laughing with two young men.

Her neighbours at Yaba were still in shock yesterday that “a very withdrawn girl who usually kept to herself and had few friends,’’ could do what she claimed to have done.

Her father, who was arrested for resisting her arrest, was released by the police yesterday.

In the first video, both lovers are seen walking into the restaurant and then take their seat in a corner, eating and drinking.

At a point, Ataga picks tissue paper to clean his lips.

In the other video, Chidinma is seen chatting with two young men, one of whom is visible. He holds a bottle of beer, laughing. The other man does not come on camera, but his voice is audible.

He is heard appreciating Chidinma’s poise and voice and seems to be encouraging her to go into broadcasting

Chindinma replies in pidgin English: “dis no be studio-o,” followed by laughter by the trio.

Neighbours of the Ojukwus at their 57, Akinwunimi Street, Alagomeji, Yaba, home were still wondering yesterday how “a very withdrawn girl who usually kept to herself and had few friends’’ could have killed anyone.

One of the neighbours, who does not want her name in print, said she observed that Chidinma suddenly started “living large.”

‘’She lived with her family in a block of flat at 57 Akinwunmi Street, Alagomeji, Yaba, Lagos. However, people in the neighbourhood later started noticing that she was living large and using expensive phones and other expensive items beyond what they could explain,’’ she said

A close associate of Ataga is not convinced by Chidinma’s account of how the murder took place.

The man, who also does not want his name in print, said: ‘’I don’t believe she just stabbed Ataga to death like that, because the man was a trained boxer.

“I believe that it is possible she drugged him before slashing him with a knife. I say this without any prejudice to the ongoing investigation of the matter by police, because if Usifo (Ataga) was on drugs and did not know what he was doing, how come the lady who claimed she took drugs together with Ataga was not weakened by the effect of the drug, so much so that she had the energy to thrust knife into the body of the deceased several times?

‘’It looks like a premeditated murder because Usifo (Ataga) that we knew, an amateur boxer, would have disarmed the young lady if he was not sedated. I strongly believe that diligent investigation by police would put a final lie to the strange confession of the lady in question.‘’

The Nation learnt that the suspect’s father arrested when operatives tried to apprehend the lady has since been released from custody.

Sources at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Panti, Yaba, Lagos said the lady’s father was arrested for obstructing operatives from arresting his daughter was released shortly after her daughter narrated how she killed Ataga.

“We have since released her (suspect’s) father from custody. The man was actually arrested for obstructing our men from arresting his daughter. But he became heartbroken after the girl confessed in his presence that she actually killed the man (Ataga),” the police source said.

The source also said that the owner of the three-bedroom apartment where the crime was committed at Lekki had also been freed.

‘’We have also released the owner of the apartment because it was discovered that he leased out the apartment and was not involved in the crime,’’ the source said.

How police ICT unit tracked suspect

The Lagos State Police Command in an update yesterday on the Ataga murder said Chindinma’s arrest was made possible by its recently created Information and Communication Technology unit.

Spokesman for the command, Muyiwa Adejobi, in a statement entitled ‘Lagos Security: Police Go Tough On Armed Robbers, Miscreants’ said the unit tracked suspect, who used different SIM cards – both Nigerian and foreign ones.

He said: “The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, recently established ICT/Tracking Unit at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba-Lagos, to adopt scientific and forensic measures of unraveling crimes and criminality in Lagos State.

“The unit, named D23, headed by SP Kasumu Rilwan, a computer scientist, has been instrumental to the landmark achievements and many feats recorded by the command under the watch of CP Hakeem Odumosu, including the latest arrest of the prime suspect in the alleged murder of Mr Michael Usifo Ataga, one Chidimma Adaora Ojukwu on 23rd June, 2021.

“Similarly, the Commissioner of Police recently created two Squads, the Special Squad and the Strike Team, at the Command Headquarters, Ikeja-Lagos, to complement the existing department and units of the command in combating crimes in the state. The new Squads, as well, have played many roles in suppressing and keeping criminals and hoodlums at bay in Lagos State.”

Chidinma is expected to be charged to court “as soon as investigation is concluded.” *Credit: The Nation

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