Magistrate Adeola Adedayo of the Lagos State Magistrate Court in Yaba has ordered the remand of Chidinma Ojukwu, who allegedly stabbed the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, Usifo Ataga, to death.
Magistrate Adedayo ordered the remand of Chidinma for 30 days following an application of the police counsel, Cyril Ejiofor.
Chidinma and Ataga reportedly lodged in a service apartment in the Lekki area of Lagos State and the corpse of the latter was discovered the next day in the room and the former fled, thus raising suspicion of her complicity in his death.
The police said they went after her and tracked her down at her father’s Alagomeji, Yaba residence.
Upon her arrest, Chidinma attributed her action to the influence of hard drugs and alcohol.
The police had on Monday brought Chindima and one Adedapo Quadri before the court and Ejiofor urged the court to remand them pending the issuance of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions report on the matter.
He said, “The remand is to enable the DPP to come up with legal advice. We pray for the remand of the defendants for the first 30 days in the first instance.”
Chidinma’s counsel, who was the Director of the Office of the Public Defender, Babajide Martins, told the court that the prosecution failed to provide the defence with the remand application but did not oppose the remand application.
He said, “I have just been privileged to get a copy of the remand application. I have not been able to go through it, my learned friend’s application is inevitable, I would have been happier if I was obliged of the application earlier. The application will not be opposed, in principle.”
Quadri had no legal representation.
Ruling on the application of the police counsel, Magistrate Adedayo said, “In the absence of any opposition, the two defendants are hereby remanded for 30 days in the first instance. The case is adjourned till September 5, for review of remand/DPP’s advice.”
The PUNCH
