Must Read
Chidinma Ojukwu, the University of Lagos student accused of murdering Super TV CEO, Usifo Ataga, has denied claims that she stole his laptop and phones after his death in June 2021.
Chidinma, a former 300-level Mass Communication student, is currently standing trial at the Lagos High Court, TBS, alongside Adedapo Quadri and her sister, Chioma Egbuchu. They face charges of murder, stealing, and forgery.
On Monday, 16 June 2025, Chidinma continued her defence before Justice Yetunde Adesanya, telling the court that she did not steal any of the deceased’s belongings. She confirmed that while she and Mr Ataga stayed together at the short-let apartment, he had his own devices, including a 2020 13-inch MacBook Pro, while she had a 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro (Core i7) with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD.
She added that she also owned an HP laptop and confirmed that the Apple MacBook police recovered belonged to her. When asked if she had proof of ownership, she stated that the receipt was lost when police searched their home.
Courtroom Testimony and Evidence
Chidinma admitted to selling her own MacBook Pro at a phone shop called Phone Hub on 18 June 2021. She claimed the laptop was a gift from a man named Mr Fredrick, whom she lost contact with after her arrest. According to her, the receipt was among other documents that went missing after police searched her home.
When asked about Usifo Ataga’s phones, she said he used an iPhone 8 and an iPhone 12. Regarding claims that she replaced the phone’s pouch with a fake one, she explained that the pouch shown in court was originally hers, used with her former iPhone 11 Pro. She confirmed this by identifying a photograph from her Instagram account (@Iamdorabie), which was admitted as evidence by the court.
She also presented a receipt for her iPhone Xs, which was accepted as an exhibit. She identified a bag marked Exhibit P25 as hers, listing its contents to include her iPhone Xs, ATM cards, voters card, a syringe, and personal items.
Calls with Second Defendant Explained
Chidinma was questioned about several phone calls she made to the second defendant, Adedapo Quadri, between 13 and 18 June 2021. She acknowledged the calls but stated they were related to business matters.
She explained that a friend had approached her in May 2021 for help with getting a passport and driver’s licence. During a call with that friend, she also spoke to Quadri, who had previously sold clothes to her. She claimed that Quadri had a contact who could help with the passport and licence.
She told the court that Quadri later contacted her again to arrange delivery of the documents. According to her, the follow-up calls mentioned in court were connected to that transaction.
Denial of Forgery
Chidinma denied forging any bank statements or official documents. She said police found two of her original bank statements in her home. She also denied forging her driver's licence or international passport, saying both were obtained legally and at different times.
However, she identified one of the documents shown in court — a driver’s licence bearing the name Mary Johnson — and stated that it did not belong to her.
Next Steps in the Trial
Justice Yetunde Adesanya adjourned the matter to 6th, 7th, 8th, 14th, 16th, 20th, and 27th October 2025 for the continuation of trial.
The case remains one of Nigeria’s most closely followed criminal trials in recent years.
