THE Lagos State High Court at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos Island, yesterday, directed the co-defendants of Chidimma Ojukwu to present their defense.
The presiding judge, Justice Yetunde Adesanya, issued this order after dismissing the no-case submission made by the second and third defendants in the case, Adedapo Quadri and Chioma Egbuchu, who is Ojukwu’s sister.
The judge then adjourned the proceedings until February 20, 2025, for the continuation of the trial.
Chidimma Ojukwu is charged with the murder of Michael Usifo Ataga, the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV. She is co-defendant with Adedapo Quadri and Chioma Egbuchu in this case.
Ojukwu and Quadri face charges ranging from conspiracy to murder and stabbing, while Egbuchu is charged with stealing an iPhone 7 belonging to the deceased.
The prosecution alleges that Ojukwu and Quadri conspired to murder Ataga on June 15, 2021, stabbing him multiple times in the neck and chest at No. 19, Adewale Oshin Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
During the resumed hearing yesterday, the second and third defendants, who had previously filed a no-case submission, requested the court to dismiss all charges against them, asserting that the prosecution had not established a case warranting their defense.
Their lawyers, Babatunde Busari for the second defendant and M.I. Otuaka for the third defendant, argued that the prosecution failed to provide substantial evidence against their clients.
In response, the state’s prosecution counsel, Yusuf Sule, objected to their submissions and urged the court to reject the no-case applications, stating, “The prosecution has presented material evidence linking the second defendant to the charges against him. We call upon him to enter his defense.”
Regarding the third defendant, the prosecution filed a response on November 27, 2024, asserting that sufficient evidence of the stolen phone had been established and urged the court to require her to present her defense.
After considering the arguments from all parties involved, Justice Yetunde Adesanya dismissed the no-case submissions from the second and third defendants, ordering them to begin their defense.
The case was adjourned until February 20, 2025, for the second defendant to commence his defense as part of the ongoing trial.
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