A human rights activist and.a Constitutional lawyer Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), has written the Inspector General of Police(IGP) Baba Alkali Usman demanding a re – investigation in the entire Usifo murder case by the Police.
Late Mr. Usifo Ataga, a 50-year-old married man, a father of two and the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, was killed in a short-let apartment at No 19, Adewale Oshin Street, Lekki Phase 1,Lagos State on June 15, 2021.
The decease was allegedly killed by Miss Chidinma Adaora Ojukwu (“Chidinma”), a 21-year-old 300-level Mass Communication undergraduate of the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos State.
Chief Ozekhome (SAN) whose chamber was briefed by late Usifo Ataga’ s family to protect the family interest in the murder trial made the demands on the police in a 20 page open letter to the IGP as followings;
“That your officers forthwith re-investigate the entire Usifo murder case more properly and more professionally, and hand over the findings of its investigations to the Lagos State DPP to properly and formally re-arraign Chidinma Ojukwu; and the other co-accused persons who had already been charged before a Chief Magistrate court and hurriedly granted bail.
“These are the persons of Babalola Disu; Ojukwu (Chidinma’s alleged father or “sugar daddy”); Jessica Egbochi; Abayomi Olutayo; and, Ifeoluwa Olowu; and any other person(s) whom the Police investigation may still throw up as having been linked to Usifo’s beastly and cold-blooded murder.
The letter highlighted the roles each of the suspects played and in detail stated the gruesome murder of Usifo Ataga as narrated by Chidinma herself. It also stated the actions taken by the Commissioner of Police Lagos State Mr. Hakeem Odumosu and the statement of the Lagos State police Command.
It provided the statement by the owner-manager of the service apartment one Mrs. Nkechi Mogbo, queries the unprofessional parade of Chidimma Ojukwu as Super celebrity, Chidinma ever changing narratives in NTA interview and with crime fighter case file .
The letter also raised 16 knotty questions and jigsaw puzzles that must now be resolved by the Police as well as the hallowed duty of Police.
Among the demands by late Ataga’s family is that the Police Officers forthwith halt any further funny and phony parade of Chidinma, or allow her access to media interviews.
These they said, “had invariably lead to total trivialization and mockery of a serious crime of brutal murder committed against Usifo, our client’s illustrious son, father, husband, breadwinner and community leader per excellence.
“Such parades also have the unsalutary effect of negatively impacting on our societal values and the morals of Nigerians, especially the youth, who may erroneously, but unwittingly, behold Chidinma as a heroine.”
According to Ozekhome, “though Usifo has died and his battered body committed to Mother Earth since 30th July, 2021, his soul lives on.”
“His dogged spirit fights on for justice. His teary eyes demand societal fairness. His shackled and manacled body, stabbed serially in a most vicious and hideous manner, yearns for freedom and recompense.”
“His pierced jugular cries to the high heavens that his murderer(s) be properly and professionally prosecuted and accorded their just dessert.
The senior lawyer said that the simple demands of the Ataga family would ensure that justice is not only done but is seen by the whole World to have been manifestly done. “Consequently we shall leave no stone unturned; no turn unstoned, in seeing that justice is served to the eternal memory of late Mr.Michael Usifo Ataga”, he vowed.