The on-going trial in the murder of the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, Usifo Ataga, at a Lagos High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square TBS, was again stalled on Monday.
This was due to a request by the new counsel to the third defendant, Chioma egbuchu, for more time to prepare adequately for her defence.
At the previous sitting on May 12, Ngozi Akandu told the court that he was new in the matter and asked for an adjournment to enable the transfer of all the necessary court processes and case notes from the former counsel. But as the case resumed on Monday, Mr Akandu told the court that he was yet to access those documents and asked for another adjournment. He also asked that the next date which had since been fixed, be vacated to enable him be better prepared for the fence of his client.
“I have no facilities to render services to the third defendant. I therefore, apply that today’s date and other dates already fixed be vacated.
“This is because I have seen the volume of documents from other counsel, it is not something someone can read in a day,” he argued.
Chidinma Ojukwu and one Adedapo Quadri are the main defendants in Usifo Ataga’s murder trial ongoing before Justice Yetunde Adesanya.
Chidinma’s sister is also said to have been found in possession of the deceased’s iPhone 7.
Reacting, the Deputy Director of the Lagos Directorate of Public Prosecutions, Adenike Oluwafemi told the court that Mr Akandu did not go to the Office of the Public Defendant who had been defending Miss Egbuchu to collect the documents as agreed.
“This court didn’t make any order directing the prosecution to serve the new counsel any processes. On seeing his dilenma, I told him that if he was unable to get the processes and documents from the OPD, I said I will make it available to him. I never heard from him on Friday and this morning I was reliably informed by the OPD counsel that he never turned up in their office on Friday. I was also informed that he (Mr Akandu) made an appointment to meet with him this afternoon.”
She also argued that her witness was in court to resume giving his evidence.
Counsel for the second defendant, Babatunde Busari also urged the judge to reject the application to vacate the May 23 date.
“I will concede to the adjournment for today but I will object that other dates be vacated because it took a lot of bending backwards to choose the dates”.
But, Counsel for the 1st defendant, Onwuka Egwu left that decision to the court’s discretion. He added that the proof of evidence was very voluminous, about 400 pages.
Justice Adesanya, in a short ruling, vacated only Monday’s date in the interest of justice, and adjourned until May 23 for the ninth prosecution witness, DSP Olusegun Bamidele, to resume giving his evidence.
He told the court previously how Miss Ojukwu’s phone was tracked which led to her arrest. He said Chidinma initially denied knowing the deceased but eventually admitted to knowing and dating Mr Usifo Ataga. She also reportedly told the police team that her co-accused, Adedapo Quadri, allegedly supplied hard drugs to them upon her request and that she allegedly stabbed Mr Usifo Ataga to death out of self defense.
The duo are also accused of procuring and making bank account statements purported to have been made by the deceased.
Chidimma Ojukwu and one Adedapo quadri are the main defendants in Usifo Atagas murder trial ongoing before justice yetunde adesanya.
Chidinmas sister is also said to have been found in possession of the deceased’s iPhone 7.
