Somiari, a Director and Consultant for the Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, gave his evidence before a Lagos High Court, at Tafawa Balewa Square, on Tuesday in Lagos.

Ojukwu, a 300-level Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos, is charged with the murder of Ataga, the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, alongside her sister, Chioma Egbuchu and one Adedapo Quadri.

At the resumed hearing, the witness was led in evidence by the Lagos State Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs Adenike Oluwafemi.

He told the court that he had practised on the area of forensic for a period of 15 years and had conducted over 500 forensic tests.

The forensic analyst told the court that his office received 21 different items on different days from their DNA centre staff members.

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He said the items were received for evidence and they included a stained red dress, an army green T-shirt, a DNA sample from Chidinma Ojukwu.

He added that other items received were urine, blood, gastric content and byle which were retained for toxicology report.

He said that the goal was to create an evidence triangle to link the suspect to the crime scene and the victim.

Somiari said that the DNA on the red dress matched that of the victim, Ataga.

He, however, said that the DNA did not match that of Chidinma and the other suspects, Babalola Disu and Oluwatomi Dada.

The witness was cross examined by the first defendant’s counsel, Mr Onwuka Egwu.

The witness narrated how the result of the toxicology report was forwarded to the office of the Attorney-General of Lagos, the Commissioner of Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions.

He, however, said that not all forensic reports went through such procedure.

When asked if he questioned the report given by Dr Andrea Nuhu, the witness said: “I have already said that I am not a toxicologist. It is a toxicologist that can do such.”

Egwu, however, requested for the video of the crime scene to be played and the court granted it.

While the video was playing, he asked the witness whether the samples of the blood on the cotton, the wall, duvet, white polo the victim was wearing, were tested.

The witness answered that the samples were not submitted.

He, however, said that the markers indicated in his report had nothing to do with the video.

He had earlier said that some samples were in storage but not tested.

The second defendant counsel, Mr Babatunde Busari, also cross examined the witness.

Busari asked if any DNA sample was taken from the second defendant, Quadri, the witness said no.

The counsel also asked the witness if he took part in the toxicology analysis which he answered no.

The third defendant counsel, Ms C. G. Ugochikwu, said that she had no examination for the witness.

After listening, Justice Yetunde Adesanya, adjourned the case until May 30 for continuation of trial.

Ojukwu and the two others were arraigned on October 12, 2021 by the Lagos State government.

Ojukwu and Quadri are facing the first to eight counts bordering on conspiracy, murder, and stabbing.

Egbuchu, however, is facing the ninth count of stealing an iPhone 7 belonging to the late Ataga.

Source: NAN

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Ojukwu is standing trial before a Lagos High Court at Tafawa Balewa Square on a nine-count charge bordering on murder, theft and forgery.

She is charged alongside her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, and one Adedapo Quadri.

At the resumed trial on Tuesday, only the third defendant, Egbuchu, was present while Ojukwu and Quadri were not brought to court from the correctional facility.

The defendants were not brought to court due to the industrial action called by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC.

Justice Yetunde Adesanya said the correctional facility officials had informed the court that the defendants would not be brought to court for security purposes until the strike is called off.

Counsel to the first defendant, Mr Onwuka Egwu, said: “due to the NLC’s strike, I suggest that tomorrow’s date be vacated and a fresh clear date be given.”

Mr Babatunde Busari, the second defendant’s counsel, expressed displeasure over the slow pace of the trial.

According to Busari, the trail is still taking too long in spite of the court’s efforts.

“There is no trial day that I come to this court without the trial going on. I also suggest that a clear date be given to ensure that substantive justice is done to this matter,” Egwu said.

He also asked the prosecution counsel, Mrs Adenike Oluwafemi, Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, to mention how many prosecution witnesses were remaining to give evidence.

The DPP had told the court that apart from the ninth prosecution witness, DSP Olusegun Bamidele, who was still giving evidence under cross-examination, “there are two more witnesses.”

The judge consequently vacated tomorrow’s date (Nov. 15) to guide against disruption of the trial by the ongoing NLC strike.

She adjourned the case until December 5 and December 7 for continuation of trial.

The ninth prosecution witness, DSP Bamidele, had at the last proceeding in June, narrated how he examined the body of late Ataga at the mortuary.

The witness was cross-examined by the first defendant’s counsel, Egwu.

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The witness had told the court that he visited the mortuary two days after the deceased died to carry out his investigation.

Bamidele had testified that the body bag was opened in his presence for observation.

He had told the court how he saw both body and beck injuries on the deceased.

He narrated how he had instructed the mortuary attendant to turn the body over and he saw marks on the side of the left ribs.

Bamidele also said that there was an injury at the lower centre of the head, adding that it was an open injury that showed signs of stabbing.

When asked to clarify what was written in his report about the deceased drinking a spiked drink before his death and the issue of not tendering any laboratory analysis of the drink or bottle to the court, the officer responded that it was the responsibility of the DNA personnel who did the examination to tender such report.

He also added that during his investigation some knives found at the scene of the crime were examined.

The witness said a bio-data and fingerprint examination were carried out on the items.

“The fingerprints on the knives were taken by fingerprint section of the Force Criminal Investigation Department, Alagbon,” Bamidele narrated.

The witness, however, said he did not mention anything about the fingerprints during his evidence in chief.

The first defendant’s counsel, however, requested that the case be adjourned for continuation of cross examination.

Ojukwu and the two others were arraigned on October 12, 2021 by the Lagos State government.

Ojukwu and Quadri are facing the first to eight counts bordering on conspiracy, murder, and stabbing while her sister, Egbuchu, is facing the ninth count of stealing an iPhone 7 belonging to the late Ataga.

Source: NAN

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Ojukwu – a third year Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos – and one Quadri Adedapo were arraigned before Justice Yetunde Adesanya of the Lagos  State High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square, on Lagos Island.

They were arraigned on a nine-count charge alongside Ojukwu’s sister, Chioma Egbuchu, from whom the late Ataga’s iPhone 7 was alleged  to have been recovered.

When the court registrar read count one –  conspiracy to murder  –  to Ojukwu and Adedapo, Ojukwu pleaded not guilty, while  Adedapo pleaded guilty before pleading not guilty.

Registrar: “Are you guilty or not guilty?”

Adedapo: “Guilty!”

Realising his error, he quickly changed his plea to not guilty.

The charge was dated August 31, and filed by the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, Mrs Olayinka Adeyemi.

Ojukwu, 21, and Adedapo  are the  first and second defendants in the suit.

They are defendants in counts one to seven, while Ojukwu is the sole defendant in count eight.

Egbuchu is a defendant only in count nine.

In count one, Ojukwu and Adedapo are charged with conspiring to murder Ataga, contrary to Section 233 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

In count two, the duo is charged with Ataga’s murder.

They allegedly stabbed him several times on the neck and chest with a knife.

In counts 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, the duo is charged with conspiracy to commit forgery, forgery and making documents without authority.

They are specifically alleged to have procured false Access and UBA bank account statements of Ataga.

They also allegedly forged an international passport and a driver’s licence in Ojukwu’s  name.

In count eight, Ojukwu  is charged alone with stealing two iPhones –  iPhone 7 and  iPhone 11 – one Apple MacBook Laptop and Automatic Teller Machine  cards of Access Bank  and GTBank, belonging to the late Ataga from which the sum of N380,000 was subsequently withdrawn.

In count nine, Egbuchu was charged with being  in possession of a stolen property, the iPhone 7 belonging to the late  Ataga.

Ojukwu allegedly murdered Ataga in an apartment at Lekki, Lagos State.

According to prosecution, the offences contravene Sections 411, 233, 365 (2)b, 280, 329 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

Ojukwu, Adedapo and Egbuchu, however, pleaded not guilty.

Mr. O. Egwu appeared for Ojukwu, Mr Babatunde Busari announced appearance for Adedapo, while the Director, Office of the Public Defender, Dr. Babajide Martins, appeared for Egbuchu.

Justice Adesanya remanded the first and second defendants in prison custody.

Following an unopposed application by Martins, the judge allowed Egbuchu to continue on the bail granted her by a magistrates’ court.

She adjourned the case until November 9 for trial.

According to prosecution, Usifo was found dead with multiple stab wounds on June 16 at a short-let apartment on Adebowale Oshin Street, Lekki Phase I, where he had checked in with  Ojukwu.

Ojukwu was consequently arrested on June 23 in her father’s house at Yaba, Lagos.

The 50-year-old deceased was buried on July 30.

Source: NAN

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