Punch
By Kayode Oyero
A 21-year-old student of the University of Lagos, Chidinma Ojukwu, has revealed that she withdrew a sum of N380,000 from the bank account of the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, Usifo Ataga, after she stabbed the 50-year-old businessman to death in the Lekki area of Lagos State.
Ojukwu, who spoke when paraded at the Lagos State Police Command headquarters in Ikeja on Thursday, said she withdrew the money using the automated teller machine card of the deceased.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Hakeem Odumosu, said Ojukwu was arrested at her parents’ residence in the Yaba area of the state on Wednesday night.
Ojukwu, a 300-level student of Mass Communication, said she had been in a romantic relationship with Ataga for about four months before the ugly incident occurred on June 15, 2021, at a Short Service Apartment, situated at No 19, Adewale Oshin Street, Lekki, Phase 1, Lagos.
Ojukwu said she told her parents she was going for an ushering job but she lodged with Ataga.
The undergraduate said she and Ataga were “having fun” when an argument broke out and she stabbed him twice.
Ojukwu said, “We were in the lodge smoking. He was trying to make advances on me. I was tired and he became violent on it. I let him have his way. Towards afternoon, he ordered roofies. We took it together and ate food. He became high. I was still not happy with the first one (sex) that we had, so, I was staying on my own, smoking and drinking. He, too, was on his own.
“He came to me and I was like I am not happy with what he did. I was like, ‘You don’t help me, you don’t assist me with anything, you are just playing with me around’. He was like, ‘Take my ATM and withdraw what you want.
“He later became violent trying to get to me and I was resisting and defending myself. At some point, he hit my head on the wall and I also retaliated.
“At some point, he was chasing me around the kitchen cabinet. I took a knife and stabbed his neck. I approached the door and he followed me. I stabbed him twice on the neck side. I threw the knife to the bed and he was going for it but I also went for it. He dragged the knife with me and it broke and he fell on the floor.”
The undergraduate also confessed that after stabbing the late CEO, she withdrew N380,000 from his account using his ATM card.
“While he was lying there, I looked for where he kept the keys and left.
“I withdrew some money, about N380,(000). Five million (naira) wasn’t withdrawn from his account, it was N380,(000),” she said.
The undergraduate, who said she felt “disappointed”, added that she wanted to use the money to pay her bills.
While the owner of the rented apartment where the tragic incident took place had been arrested, Odumosu said Ataga’s accounts had been blocked to prevent further withdrawals by those taking advantage of his untimely death to deplete the accounts.
Meanwhile, Odumosu said, “The case will be charged to court as soon as investigation is concluded.”
