A magistrate court sitting in Yaba Lagos on Monday has issued an order for the remand of Chidinma Ojukwu, the 21-year-old suspected killer of Usifo Ataga, the chief executive officer of Super TV for 30 days. The magistrate, Adeola Adedayo gave the order following a remand application by the police prosecutor, Cyril Ejiofor, who made the application in accordance with Section 264 subsections 1 and 2 of the Lagos State Criminal Law. The state police command had brought the mass communication student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) before the court on Monday. Chidinma was arraigned alongside two other suspects. Mrs. Adeola Adebayo, the magistrate, however, ruled that the UNILAG student should be remanded in prison for the stipulated days pending legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP). Mr. Ejiofor informed the court that the application was supported by a 12-page affidavit, statements from the defendants, and exhibits demonstrating that the file had been duplicated and sent to the DPP for legal advice.
Representing the first defendant, Babajide Martins, Director of the Office of Public Defender said the remand application is “inevitable.”
Mr. Martins who was not opposed to the application encouraged the prosecution team to make necessary documents available to the defence before being brought before the court.
Late Ataga was stabbed to death and left in the pool of his own blood inside a Lagos hotel on June 15.
Chidinma was thereafter arrested in connection with the murder.
