Mr Okike Obaji, the Guaranty Trust Bank account officer to the late Chief Executive Officer of Super Television, Mr Usifo Ataga, on Thursday, said the bank placed a no-debit restriction on his account immediately it learnt of his death.
Obaji told a Lagos High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos, that the bank learnt about Ataga’s death through social media on June 17, 2021.
The News Agency of Nigeria reported that he made the disclosure while giving evidence at the ongoing trial of a student of the University of Lagos and prime suspect in the case, Chidinma Ojukwu.
Ojukwu is charged with murder, stealing and forgery alongside her sister, Chioma Egbuchu and one Adedapo Quadri.
At the resumed hearing on Thursday, the prosecution counsel, Mrs A. O. Oluwafemi, who is the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, led the witness, Obaji, in evidence.
Obaji said the news about Ataga’s death was everywhere on social media and so the bank acted to protect his assets.
“The bank placed a no-debit restriction on the account of Usifo Ataga, thereby ensuring that other transactions out of the account did not occur while waiting for further advice,” Obaji said.
When asked about the marked column in the bank statements of the deceased which he presented to the court, Obaji said the remarks indicated the details of some specific transactions entries on June 16, 2021.
He said on June 16, 2021 there was a debit transaction of N50,000 between Usifo Ataga and Mrs Nkechi Mogbo, via GTB.
NAN reported that Mogbo, the first prosecution witness, owned the apartment where Ataga was allegedly murdered.
During cross-examination, the witness said the only bank transaction made by Ojukwu was in June 2021 and the amount was N50,000.
Obaji said the transactions were three in number and were made from Ataga’s account to Ojukwu’s between June 13 and 14, 2021.
The witness said this when asked by the defence counsel, Mr Onwuka Egwu, to mention how many transactions were in the name of Ojukwu between June 1 to June 14, 2021.
He said, “From the intervals you mentioned, the first transaction was on June 13 and it was N10,000; on June 14, there was a transaction of N25,000 and that same day (June 14), there was another transaction of N15,000 that was made.”
He also testified that on June 16, 2021, there were multiple transactions of N20,000 which were not debit transactions but credit.
The witness said from the remarks, the credit transactions were done through USSD bank codes.
Obaji also testified that there were two debit transactions of N101,200, made on June 16, 2021, to PayCom Digital Nigeria Ltd and Capricon Digital.
He said the two debit transactions were made through Automated Teller Machines on the same day and the same amount.
Obaji also told the court that the transactions that were made to Ojukwu were through ATMs.
He explained that it was only a person who had the PIN that could carry out those transactions.
Earlier, Justice Yetunde Adesanya overruled an objection made by Ojukwu’s counsel that the witness should not be allowed to give evidence in the case.
He argued that it would be an infringement on the fair hearing of Ojukwu.
The judge adjourned the case till May 9 for the continuation of trial.
He argued that it would be an infringement on the fair hearing of Ojukwu.
The judge adjourned the case till May 9 for the continuation of trial.
