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Chidinma transferred N5m from Ataga’s account – Witness tells court

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CHIDINMA, ATAGA

 

A Lagos State High Court sitting in Tafawa Balewa Square has heard how Chidinma Ojukwu, the prime suspect in the murder of Usifo Ataga, the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, transferred the sum of N5m on June 15, 2021, from Usifo Ataga’s account to another account.

The ninth prosecution witness, DSP Olusegun Bamidele, told the court while testifying in the ongoing trial of Ojukwu, a 300-level Mass Communication undergraduate of the University of Lagos, who allegedly murdered Ataga.

The security guard of the short-let service apartment, Abubakar Mohammed, where Ataga was murdered had during his evidence before the court on November 16, 2021, said that Chidinma left the apartment on Tuesday night which was June 15, 2021 and never came back.

He had also told the court that it was on Wednesday, June 16, 2021, that the dead body of Ataga was discovered.

Ojukwu is standing trial before Justice Yetunde Adesanya for the alleged murder of Ataga.

She is also charged with stealing and forgery alongside her sister, Chioma Egbuchu and one Adedapo Quadri.

At the resumed hearing of the case on Thursday, the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, Mrs Adenike Oluwafemi, told the court that the matter was for continuation of trial.

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Bamidele, who had not finished giving evidence, was hauled into the witness box.

Oluwafemi asked for exhibit P11, which is the Access Bank statement of Ataga and asked the witness to tell the court why he had the bank statement of the deceased.

Bamidele said on June 15, the first defendant used the deceased’s phone to transfer N5m from his account to another bank.

“On June 16, 2021, four transactions of N20,000 was made from the deceased’s account on June 17, another withdrawal of N20,000 was made five times and the remarks was transfer between customers.

“On same June 16, N50,000 was transferred to Nkech Mogbo, another N11,200 was also transferred to Caprical Capital. On the same June 16, another N50,000 was transferred from Ataga’s account to Mogbo and another N93,000 transferred from Ataga’s GTBank account to his Access Bank account.

“A transfer of N110,000.75 kobo was debited from the deceased’s account on June 18, 2021.

“On June 19, 2021, a transfer of N20,000 was made four times; on that same day, another transfer of N20,000 was made five times and it was through the USSD code,” Bamidele said.

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The witness also explained to the court how they wrote GTB to get Ataga’s statement of account.

He said on June 13, 2021, there was an internet transfer of N10,000 to Chidinma; another N105,000 was also transferred to Chidinma on same June 13, for the payment of the short service let, paid to Nkechi Mogbo, the owner of the apartment.

“On that same June 13, there was a N13,000 purchase transaction at Ango Villa, 14,200, transaction for purchase at Dwine Bar global, on the same June 13, there was a transfer of N20,399.

“On June 14, 2021, there was N21,000 transfer from Ataga’s account to Chidinma’s account and another transfer of N15,000 paid to Chidinma, there was a N5000 transaction that was made on June 14 and paid to Adiba Online choppy,” he said.

When the prosecution sought to admit the written statements of the defendants, Chidinma’s counsel, Onwuka Egwu, objected to the admissibility of the document.

READ  Super TV CEO’s murder: Who is Chidinma?

He said she didn’t make the statements voluntarily that the statements were obtained by oppression, inducement, intimidation and under duress and urged the court to test the veracity of the voluntariness of the statements.

The second defendant’s counsel, Babatunde Busari, did not object, but said the third defendant’s counsel, Miss M. A. Abia-Bassey, did not also object.

However, the prosecutor prayed the court to conduct trial within trial for Chidinma.

Consequently, Justice Adesanya adjourned the case to November 8 for trial within trial.

Ojukwu was arraigned alongside two others – Adedapo Quadri and Chioma Egbuchu – on October, 12, 2021, on a nine-count over alleged murder of Ataga, preferred against them by Lagos State Government.

Ojukwu and Quadri are facing the first to eight counts bordering on conspiracy, murder, stabbing, forgery, making of bank statements and stealing.

The third defendant, Egbuchu, is facing the ninth count of receiving a stolen iPhone 7 belonging to the late Ataga.

Ojukwu and Quadri were alleged to have conspired and murdered Ataga on June 15, 2021, by stabbing him several times with a knife on the neck and chest.

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Repentant cultists surrender arms in Ogun

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At least 48 repentant cultists in the Sagamu area of Ogun State have surrendered their arms to the Nigeria Police Force and renounced their membership in the various cult groups they belonged to.

The ceremony to profile the repentant cultists and take stock of the arms and ammunition was held at the Palace of the Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Adewale Ajayi, in the Sagamu Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday.

Recall that in January two cult groups, Neo Black Movement, popularly called Aye, and the National Association of Airlords, also known as Eiye Confraternity, Sagamu chapter, wrote letters of apologies to the Akarigbo of Remoland, asking him and other traditional rulers in Remoland to forgive them of their wrongdoings.

 

The two groups had, in a viral letter, pleaded for mercy and promised to abide by the laws of the country.

 

While the letter from the Eiye Confraternity was dated December 22, 2023, that of Aye was dated December 26, 2023.

Weapons submitted by the cultists, who have promised to turn a new leaf, include one pump action gun, four double barrels, seven single barrels, two English pistols, four locally made pistols, and 35 cartridges.

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Speaking at the event, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, said the approach of the police to engage in moral persuasion as a way of curbing the incessant cult crises that have ravaged the part of the state led the cultists to renounce their membership and surrender their arms.

 

Alamutu, while urging the repentant cultists not to go back to their old ways, stressed that the police would also work with the Ogun State government and the traditional rulers to convert them into an Anti-Cultism Vanguard that would preach the dangers of cultism to others still engaged in the act.

 

The CP said, “You will recall that last year, this community witnessed disturbing incidences where cultists were on rampage and disturbing the peace of the community that I had to partially relocate to this community.

 

“It was the persistent nature of this crisis that brought the idea of having a second look and approach to the crisis and we thought of using moral persuasion and engagement to see if we can get results and thank God this is the outcome.

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“By giving them this Olive branch, the idea is for them to turn a new leaf. I have had a closed-door meeting with Kabiyesi on how we can engage these youths. Now that we have convinced them that the right thing to do is hard work, we are going to see how we can assist them to be of use to themselves and be our vanguard so that others will have a reason to embrace peace.”

 

In his reaction, Oba Ajayi said the amnesty for the cultists was a result of several engagements and discussions during when many of the cultists regretted their nefarious acts and promised to turn a new leaf.

 

The monarch added, “Not satisfied with the killings and disturbance of these cultists in the town, the community re-strategised and moved against them. The heat was so much that some of them were even forced to leave the town, but they continued to beg, sending emissaries that they were ready to turn a new leaf.

READ  Usifo Ataga: Chidinma to testify Thursday in trial-within-trial

 

“We have engaged them and told them point-blank that cultism is not the way forward, that they will only ruin their lives, ruin their family names and the plans of God for their lives.

 

“We told them to submit their weapons and stay away from cultism, and we have promised to integrate them into the society. It is an ongoing exercise, and we hope that their colleagues in other parts of Remoland and Ogun State as a whole will draw a vital lesson and follow suit as well.”

 

He thanked Governor Dapo Abiodun, security agencies, and the Sagamu Security Committee for working round the clock to ensure the success of the amnesty deal for the former cultists.

 

He begged the residents of the community to show the repentant cultists love and support and not treat them as outcasts.

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Police raid kidnappers’ den in Abuja, arrest one

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Men of the Federal Capital Territory Police Command have raided a kidnappers’ den in Jibi forest bordering Dei-dei Abuja and arrested one suspect.

This was disclosed in a statement shared on the command’s X account on Monday by the spokesperson for the command, SP Josephine Adeh.

Adeh said exhibits such as firearms and cows were recovered from the camp.

The statement said, “The operatives of the FCT Police Command, in a continued fight against banditry in FCT, stormed a kidnappers’ den in Jibi forest bordering Dei-dei Abuja on March 23, 2024, at about 6am. On sighting police operatives, the bandits fled from their hideouts to escape arrest.

“The crime prevention operation was carried out on the heels of a credible intelligence that one Mallam Danyaboi and Ilu, gang members and colleagues to one Nasiru Mohammed aka. Danger, who was earlier arrested and paraded by the police command on March 11, 2024, in connection with a series of kidnappings in FCT, had planned a reprisal kidnapping attack in Zuba and its environs for the arrest of their members.

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“Exhibits such as firearms and cows were recovered from the camp.”

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BREAKING: Four killed in Bauchi almsgiving stampede

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Four people have lost their lives in a stampede during an almsgiving zakat exercise for the poor in Bauchi State.

 

The stampede happened at the Shafa Holdings Company plc headquarters along Jos Road, on Sunday at about 10 am.

 

One 17-year-old Naima Abdullahi is currently receiving medical treatment at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital in Bauchi.

 

The police Public Relations Officer, Ahmed Wakili, confirmed the incident and guaranteed that the situation is currently stable.

 

He stated that the police acted swiftly upon hearing the news, and the police commissioner encouraged the public to stay composed.

 

On visiting the scene, the crowd had been dispersed, and police vehicles were stationed in the area.

 

However, a few women are still waiting outside in anticipation of further disbursement.

 

 

 

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