The trial of a 300-level Mass Communications student of the University of Lagos, Chidinma Ojukwu, who is suspected to have killed the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, Usifo Ataga, was stalled on Monday owing to a contest over the integrity of some bank records of the deceased.
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When the matter was called at the Lagos High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square, two representatives of Access and GT banks sought to tender the statements of account of the deceased as evidential documents.
Chidinma’s counsel, Onwuka Egwu, however, objected to the tendering of the statement by Access Bank on the grounds that the defence was been taken by surprise.
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Another lawyer, Babatunde Busari, who represented the second defendant, Adedapo Quadri, also raised similar objections. He noted that the Access Bank statement sought to be tendered was different from the account details already tendered to the court as an exhibit.
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This prompted the Counsel to the Lagos State Government, a Deputy Director of Public Prosecution, Adenike Oluwafemi, to ask the court to grant a short adjournment to enable her to cross-check and tidy her documents.
Justice Yetunde Adesanya thereafter adjourned till Tuesday, April 26, for the continuation of the trial.
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Miss Ojukwu and Quadri, both key suspects in the alleged murder Ataga, were arraigned before the court in October last year.
The murder was said to have been committed in a service apartment in the Lekki area of Lagos State.
Chidinma
The duo was arraigned by the Lagos State Government alongside a third defendant, Chidinma’s sister, Chioma Egbuchu on a nine-count charge bordering on conspiracy, murder, forgery, stealing, and being possession of stolen property.
They all pleaded not guilty.
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