The trial was scheduled to continue yesterday before Justice Yetunde Adesanya of a Lagos High Court sitting in Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), but when the case was called, the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions (DDPP), Mrs. Adenike Oluwafemi, informed the court that the witness was unable to make it to court.
She said she received a text message from Bamidele that he was drenched in rain and was unable to find transport to the court.
Bamidele, the ninth prosecution witness, is yet to finish his testimony before the court.
The prosecution counsel apologised to the court for the absence of the witness.
Counsel representing the defendants, Mr. Onwuka Egwu, Mr. Babatunde Busari and Miss M. A. Abia-Bassey, confirmed to the court that the prosecution counsel had earlier informed them of the development.
They did not oppose her submission for the matter to be adjourned.
Consequently, the trial judge, Adesanya adjourned to October 27, 2022, for the continuation of the trial.
Ojukwu, a supposedly Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) is standing trial with her sister, Chioma Egbuchu and one Adedapo Quadri over the alleged murder of Ataga.
The defendants were also charged with alleged stealing and forgery.
They were arraigned on October 12, 2021, on a nine-count charge by Lagos State Government.
Ojukwu and Quadri are facing the first to eight counts bordering on conspiracy, murder, stabbing, forgery, making of bank statements and stealing.
While the third defendant (Egbuchu), is facing the ninth count of receiving a stolen iPhone 7 belonging to the late Ataga.
Ojukwu and Quadri were alleged to have conspired and murdered Ataga on June 15, 2021, by stabbing him several times with a knife on the neck and chest at No. 19, Adewale Oshin Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
However, On October 20, 2022, the case was also adjourned at the instance of the first defendant’s counsel, who sent a message that he lost a relative and was already in Anambra State at the time the case was called.
Also, the third defendant (Quadri) was not produced in court. He called his lawyer, Babatunde Busari to inform him that there was a directive from the Correctional Facility that they should not be brought to court over security reasons, due to the 2nd year anniversary of ‘#ENDSARS’.
On October 18, proceeding on the recorded video footage of the confessional statement of Ojukwu was played in court. After the video footage, the first defendant (Ojukwu) denied killing Ataga.
Ojukwu said she did not know who killed the deceased.
She said she went out, but by the time she got back, she saw Ataga on the floor and quickly picked up her things and left because she was scared.
Meanwhile, on October 11 proceeding, when the video recording was first played, it showed the lifeless body of Ataga and later Ojukwu’s confession, where she said in the video that she killed the deceased on her own.
But on October 12, 2022, the matter also didn’t go on as the trial judge was bereaved.
