By Bamike Folorunsho
On April 17, Chidinma Ojukwu, the key suspect in the death of Super TV CEO Michael Usifo Ataga, gave a chilling testimony before Justice Yetunde Adesanya at the Lagos High Court, narrating how she came upon Ataga’s lifeless body in a short-term rental apartment in Lekki on June 15, 2021.
Chidinma, a former third-year Mass Communication student at the University of Lagos, told the court that she had stepped out to buy food and drinks. Upon returning, she knocked on the door several times but got no response. She said she eventually pushed the door open and was shocked to see blood on the floor and Ataga lying still in a pool of blood.
“I dropped everything I was holding and ran to him,” she said, visibly emotional. “His eyes were half open, and I couldn’t find a pulse.”
Led by her lawyer, Mr. Onwuka Egwu, Chidinma went on to share how she first met Ataga in November 2020 through a mutual acquaintance named Fiyin, who was dating one of Ataga’s friends. She described their relationship as close and said Ataga supported her financially—covering her school fees and helping with her beauty business.
According to her, Ataga, who had three children and lived in Victoria Garden City, Lagos, had been separated from his wife who lived in Abuja. He invited her to spend a few days with him ahead of his birthday. Due to renovations at his home, he suggested staying elsewhere, and Chidinma found a short-let apartment for them at 19 Adewale Street, off Ologolo Road in Lekki.
They checked into the apartment on June 13, went out to eat, bought wine, and spent the evening together drinking, smoking, and relaxing. On June 14, she said Ataga asked her to help him get some cannabis and rohypnol, sending her N15,000 for the drugs and an additional N25,000 for food. Later, on June 15, he requested more cannabis but didn’t have access to funds at that moment, so she said he asked her to cover the cost.
After stepping out again for food and juice, Chidinma said she was delayed due to confusion over the soup she had ordered. When she returned to the apartment, she found the front door slightly open. Inside, she was met with a horrifying sight.
“There was blood on the floor, and he was just lying there,” she said. “I checked him, but he wasn’t breathing.”
In a panic, she admitted to cleaning herself up, changing clothes, and quickly packing her things. Among the items she left with were Ataga’s bank documents, ID cards, some jewelry, and papers belonging to someone named Mary Johnson. She said she then took a cab and left the apartment.
The judge adjourned the trial to continue on April 28, 2025.
