Courtroom Drama Intensifies As Chidinma Ojukwu Expresses Deep Regret During Tense Trial Over Super TV CEO Michael Ataga’s Death

 

Chidinma Ojukwu, the principal suspect in the controversial death of Super TV CEO Michael Usifo Ataga, expressed profound remorse while testifying at the Lagos State High Court, Tafawa Balewa Square. Her emotional disclosure came as prosecution counsel Y. A. Sule pressed her on her feelings about the tragic incident that has captivated public attention since it first emerged.

A 300-level Mass Communication student, Ojukwu is standing trial alongside her sister Chioma Egbuchu and Adedapo Quadri, facing charges including murder, conspiracy, and theft. During her cross-examination as the defence’s first witness, she admitted to regretting Ataga’s death, stating candidly, “I regret that he d!ed.” The courtroom, already tense, appeared momentarily subdued at the admission.

Much of the hearing centered on digital evidence and items recovered from Ojukwu following the incident. The prosecution presented documents from a company named Phone Hub, claiming she had sold Ataga’s MacBook Pro for ₦495,000 and swapped an iPhone. Ojukwu acknowledged visiting the store and receiving payment into her Sterling Bank account but insisted the laptop was a birthday gift she owned personally. She vehemently denied ever stealing any device from the deceased.

The defence, led by Onwuka Egwu, immediately objected to the introduction of the Phone Hub receipts, arguing that presenting such evidence without prior disclosure violated legal procedure. Justice Yetunde Adesanya, however, overruled the objection, deeming the receipts essential to the ongoing case and relevant for establishing facts regarding ownership of the devices.

Ojukwu provided a detailed timeline of her actions following the incident. She stated that the laptop sale occurred days after vacating the short-let apartment in Lekki, where Ataga’s body was discovered. She also affirmed continued use of her phone for communication after leaving the apartment, countering allegations that she had manipulated digital evidence. Ojukwu further emphasized her lack of technical knowledge, rejecting suggestions that she could have interfered with the digital trail linked to the crime.

The trial, which has lasted for nearly five years since its commencement in 2021, has seen a mix of prosecution and defence witnesses. While the prosecution has presented around ten witnesses, the defence has indicated plans to call approximately four. Ms Ojukwu and Mr Ataga were staying together at the short-let apartment in Lagos when the tragedy occurred, with police later finding Ataga’s body in a pool of blood.

Justice Adesanya adjourned the proceedings to February 9, 10, 17, and 23, 2026, for the continuation of the trial. Observers note that the case remains one of the most closely followed legal proceedings in recent Nigerian media, with public interest fueled by the prominence of the parties involved and the complex digital and forensic evidence under scrutiny.