Super TV CEO murder: I didn’t know Chidinma was a Nigerian – Apartment owner

The owner of the apartment where Mr Usifo Ataga, Super TV Chief Executive Officer, was allegedly murdered, on Monday said that she neither met Ataga nor his alleged murderers before the incident.

Nkechi Mogbo said she didn’t know if the prime suspect in the murder, Chidinma Ojukwu, was a Nigerian, because Miss Ojukwu used a different name.

Mogbo stated this while testifying before a Lagos High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square.
She was being cross-examined as the first prosecution witness in the trial of undergraduate, Ojukwu (first defendant), and two others for Ataga’s murder.

Ojukwu is facing trial along with her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, and one Adedapo Quadri.

Mogbo was cross-examined by Ojukwu’s counsel, Mr Onwuka Egwu.

On November 11, the witness told the court that she operated a fully-furnished self-service apartment like a normal house with a cable television subscription, a 24-hour power supply and a well-equipped kitchen.

Mogbo also narrated to the court how Ojukwu booked and lodged in the apartment with `a friend’, including how the body of Ataga was discovered at the apartment.

At the resumed trial on Monday, she said Ojukwu informed her while booking for the apartment and that she would be lodging with a friend.

Mogbo said she could not collect Ojukwu’s International Passport for identification before lodging her because the defendant told her that her passport was with the Nigeria Immigration Service for purposes of COVID-19 isolation.

The witness said she did not ask for a vaccination certificate because “I didn’t think it was in my capacity to request for it’’.

“I was not privileged to know if she was a Nigerian due to the name (Jewel) and the foreign phone number she used while booking for the apartment,” Mogbo added.

The witness also said that when the payment for the apartment was made with Ataga’s name, she did not raise an eyebrow because payment could be made by a friend or family member.

She said that Ojukwu sent the receipt of the payment through WhatsApp.

“I did not know who the initiator of the payment was; the defendant sent to me the proof of payment less than a minute after the payment was made; so, there was nothing to arouse any suspicion.

“If I did, I would have called the person for further clarification.