The House of Representatives has asked the police to ensure that Chidinma Ojukwu, the alleged killer of Super TV’s CEO, Mr Usifo Ataga, does not die in police custody.
Representative Tolulope Sadipe who raised the motion On Tuesday, as a matter of urgent public importance, expressed concerns about the public parade and media trial which she believes Chidinma is being subjected to.
According to Sadipe, she could be driven to depression and eventually suicide.
Her motion follows a recent interview granted by Chidinma over the death of Mr Ataga.
In the interview, the 300 level University of Lagos (UNILAG) student, gave fresh insights into the circumstances surrounding the murder.
Contrary to her initial statements that she had stabbed Ataga as a way of self-defense, she now claims she had nothing to do with his death.
She explained that while they were lodged in the short-let apartment, she briefly stepped out to buy some things only to return to his lifeless body.
“As I was leaving the apartment, he stood up to lock the door. When I came back, I knocked but there was no response. Then I opened the door and realized it wasn’t locked,” she said.
“The duvet was on the floor and pillows. The couch was facing the door and the bed was stained with blood and the floor where he was. Music was on, the TV was on. The room was in disarray like someone broke in.
“Then I saw him on the floor, I didn’t know what to do. I was afraid. I thought if I raised an alarm I would be arrested because we were the only people in the room”.
Also speaking in the interview, a cousin of the deceased said the state in which he later found the corpse was very questionable. According to him, the extent of the stab wounds as well as the way Ataga’s hands were tied, was so bad that its difficult to believe the act was carried out by just Chidinma.
She, on the other hand, claimed that the only reason she took responsibility for the incident initially was that it was just both of them in the room and she felt that no one would believe her story.
“I never had anything to do with his death. I didn’t involve anybody. I don’t know who must have come into the apartment. Definitely, somebody did but I don’t who the person is. I don’t know what happened when I left to buy food,” she said.
