Chidinma, alleged killer of Super TV boss, Ataga, backtracks, denies hand in the killing

Miss Chidinma Ojukwu, who was arrested for the alleged murder of the CEO of Super Television, Usifo Ataga has changed her statement, saying she is not responsible for his death.

Earlier, when paraded before journalists by the police soon after her arrest, she confessed to killing Ataga.

Although many Nigerians on social media had said it was hard to believe that Ms. Ojukwu committed the crime alone, all details uncovered by the police pointed towards her direction.

However speaking in a video interview aired on a TVC programme ‘Crime Fighters’, which went viral on social media on Monday, Ms. Ojukwu denied killing Ataga, saying “someone must have entered the room” when she left to get some things.

Her words: “He said he was free and I was free too. It was Sunday. I decided to check online about the short lets. It would not be fun, for like staying in the house. So that was when I decided to check for a short let and I sent it to him and he said it was okay.

“Then he said I should go and check the place, so I checked it and it was okay, so he made payments. He sent N105,000 and that was like for four days. Barely one hour after I paid the money, he came. Then we went to eat, and also get drinks. We were just indoors, watching movies, drinking, and smoking.

“He woke up before me because I was still feeling sleepy and dizzy because of the smoke, drinks, and the drugs. He asked what we need, so I was like we need to buy food and drugs.

“Before I left, he stood up to lock the door but when I got in, I was knocking, and as there was no answer, I opened the door, and it opened like it wasn’t locked. The duvet was on the floor plus pillows. The couch was facing the door and the bed was stained with blood already, and there was blood on the floor where he was.

“The room was already disarranged like someone broke in, then I saw him on the floor. I didn’t know what to do so I took my things and left. I was afraid. I didn’t know maybe if I had raised the alarm they would have arrested me for doing it because I and him were the only people in the room. I just left.

“I was packing my things to leave when I noticed that my clothes were stained so I changed into another. I took the bag that contained his ID, documents, and banks statements. I took his phone. On the following week, I went out, withdrew some money with the ATM card that I was with, and I withdrew N200,000.”

When asked about the money in her account, she denied having two million in her account, saying she only had between N400,000 and N500,000 in her account, which she said she made after she sold an apple laptop given to her by Ataga.

“Micheal gave me a laptop. He had two laptops and I told him I wanted a laptop, so he gave me one. And that was what I sold to get the money. So it was a Mac Book Pro,” she said.

When asked why she still made a withdrawal from Ataga’s bank account even after his demise, she said he had promised her money before his death.

“When I was arrested and they said I made away with N5 million, there was no N5 million in the account. It’s not like I had something to do with his death. I never had anything to do with his death.

“I didn’t involve anybody; I didn’t know who must have come into the apartment. Definitely, somebody did that but I don’t know who that person is. I don’t know what happened when I left to buy the food. I don’t know,” she added

READ ALSO: [FACT CHECK] Meet Beverly Tlhako, The South African Celebrity That Is Presently Mistaken As Chidinma

Meanwhile, she admitted that she felt guilty that she did not alert the police about his death, and that she withdrew money from the account even after the victim’s death, but maintained that she did not kill him.

“Because of the thing I did after, not alerting the police and then also withdrawing money I feel guilty for what happened. I did not kill him. Knowing fully well that I did not kill him but my doings, taking his money and not reporting to the police, I believe that somebody knew where we were and then waited till I left before they could enter.

“The pressure and the people, when I was talking to the security guy and he was like, nobody entered into the apartment that it was just me that entered into the apartment, and knowing fully well of what I did, withdrawing his money, I just took the blame on myself that since no one believes, let me just take it.”

Meanwhile, when interviewed on the development, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, said the recent development is the trait of an avid criminal.

“She was there and we recorded all her statements. In the state CID the night she was arrested we recorded all. Even the lady that rented the apartment, we recorded everything out. But anybody that is trying to give her tutelage or something, then that person is saying it out of mischief.

“And it’s highly discouraging. For us to have risked our lives and have carried out our professional calling in getting her, instead of the action, we are supposed to be appreciated and encouraged to get further.

“So maybe it’s just a way of distracting the police and say okay, when we castigate the police then the police would be discouraged and will then need to go home, no, we will never be. We will never leave any stone unturned. We are not leaving any lead that we get unfollowed,” Odumosu said

Also in the viral video, Ataga’s brother maintained that Chidinma could not have killed the Super TV boss, as there were marks on his corpse indicating that he had been tied and turtored, something he said, Chidinma could not have done alone, even if he late Ataga was drugged.

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