By Edoamaowo Udeme
When Nigerians woke up to the brutal murder of a Billionaire Television CEO, Mr. Micheal Usifo Ataga in a service apartment in the Lekki area of Lagos State, the social media went haywire when one Chidinma Ojukwu, a 300-level mass Communication Student of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, was arrested on Wednesday, 23rd June, 2021, over the murder. While majority tagged her “The innocent looking Devil”, some still had doubts and smelt a conspiracy considering the fact that 50 year old Ataga was an amateur boxer and Chidinma is 21. A confessional statement made by Chidinma when paraded by the police seemed to be a nail in her coffin as she described how she stabbed Super TV CEO Michael Ataga to death in self defence.
Chidinma also confessed to withdrawing N380,000 from the deceased’s account to pay her school fees while it was initially speculated that she robbed him of N5 million. Subsequent interviews with her showed that she had begged for forgiveness, saying she did not want to die. “I regret killing Mr Ataga. I don’t know what my future holds but I don’t want to die. Please, I don’t want to die because of this case. I have not killed before.”
In another interview, she had said that the man had some problems with his wife and told her he was in his marriage to cater for his children. “He was actually a busy person but at a point, I found out that he lies a lot just to be able to have sex with young girls. “He wasn’t having a good marriage either because I noticed he had issues with his wife. They had a marital crisis and he was there only for the kids,” she said.
“I totally regret everything I did and I am sorry. Mr Ataga’s family, I am deeply sorry for what I did. If I had my life back, I wouldn’t do anything like that. I am deeply sorry and I hope you forgive me,” Chidinma had said at the time.
It seems the Police was not satisfied with the first interview as she keeps on granting interviews while in police custody, the latest being that she not only changed the story, but she changed her looks, with her hair well made. Chidinma said in the latest interview “I didn’t injure anybody” I don’t know who must have come into the apartment, and did that… I don’t know who that person is. I don’t know what happened. I did not kill him,” What is worrisome is what the police stand to achieve by having Chidinma granting subsequent interviews after she had initially been paraded.
One would have expected another press parade for Uduak Frank Akpan who confessed to have raped, killed and buried Iniubong Umoren in a shallow grave, only for the Akwa Ibom Police Command to parade the suspect and made it an all commers affair but did not invite Crime reporters to interview Uduak, so why is Chidinma’s own different? One is also worried that in cases like this, if there are conspirators, the possibility of Chidinma “dying” or “committing suicide in custody” is there as those who conspired must silence her one way or another.
In an interview with Punch Newspaper Ataga’s brother, Dr Isi Ataga said his brother was bound, gagged and stabbed multiple times as against the three times Chidinma claimed she did. Dr Isi insisted that his brother couldn’t have been killed by just one person. So why then is Chidinma taking this fall alone?
It was on these grounds that Honourable Mrs Tolulope Akande-Sadipe,Chairman, House Committee on Diaspora, on Tuesday , 12th July, 2021, moved a motion on the floor of the Nigerian House of Representatives that Chidinma should not die in custody or commit suicide while awaiting trial as in some cases. Hon Sadipe calls on the Nigerian Police Force to conduct a proper investigation into the matter and refrain from parading Chidinma around to grant interviews on the matter under investigation.
“The House is aware that since the arrest of Ms Chidinma Ojukwu, she has been paraded around, granting interviews to various news platforms, including the Nigerian Television Authority, on the matter, causing the internet and news media to be agog with the discussion and dissecting the matter. This is despite the fact that the police have already launched an investigation into the matter”. “The House is further aware that the law of Nigeria does not allow for social media trials and matters that are sub judice – meaning before the court or not yet judicially decided – are not to be discussed by the media.”
She stressed that “The House is cognizant that Section 36(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) provides that every person who is charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed to be innocent until they are proven guilty”. “Thus, so long as Ms. Ojukwu has not been proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction, she is not to be labeled a criminal or paraded about to conduct a series of interviews on a case currently under investigation.
Rather, the police are to conduct a proper investigation and allow the court to consider the matter and make an informed judgment”. “I am concerned that if Ms. Ojukwu continues to be paraded about for a social media trial, it could affect the determination and outcome of the case, as well as amount to breach of her fundamental right to fair hearing , especially where is labeled or treated as one guilty of a crime”.
“The Inspector General of Police should call all police personnel to order and ensure that there is no repeat of this violation of Human Rights and media access to an arrested person in the future, to avoid compromising the cases that are in a court of law”. “This is to ensure future cases are not treated in the same manner. Also, ensure that Ms. Ojukwu (the accused) does not die in custody or commit suicide while awaiting trial as in some cases” Sadipe added. The House of Representatives has on a voice vote, asked the Nigerian police to stop parading Chidinma Ojukwu, the alleged killer of Usifo Ataga, Super TV CEO.
