Crime
Ataga: Police forced me to write false statement, says Chidinma
Chidinma is standing trial for the alleged murder of the Chief Executive Officer of Super TV, Michael Usifo Ataga.
In her defence before Justice Yetunde Adesanya at the Lagos High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square, Chidinma said fear prevented her from speaking the truth during her interactions with the police.
“Because of the fear that the Investigating Police Officer, Mr. Bamidele, and his team put in me, I couldn’t say anything contrary to the narration he asked me to tell the Commissioner of Police,” she testified.
Chidinma, Adedapo Quadri and her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, are facing charges of stealing and forgery.
They were arraigned on October 12, 2021, on a nine-count charge.
The defendant, who opened her defence on April 17, 2025, narrated how she was arrested on June 23, 2021 and interrogated.
“The IPO, Mr. Bamidele, collected my phone and asked me to input my password, which I did. He went to my contact list and searched for my sister’s name. He asked me to confirm it, then wrote it down.”
She continued, “He asked me about my laptop and what I went to do at Computer Village. I told him I went to repair the laptop on the table and sold another one. He asked which one I sold, I said a MacBook. He asked where I sold it, I said a phone vendor, and then he wrote the address down.”
Chidinma said Bamidele also questioned the cannabis she and Ataga allegedly smoked.
“He asked where I got the cannabis from. I said I have someone who supplies me. He asked who, I said Quadri. He asked for his number, I said it was on my phone, and he wrote it down.”
“When he asked about Michael’s ATM card, I told him I didn’t have it. He said N5m had been withdrawn and another N20,000 withdrawn a few times, totalling N5,380,000. I said, ‘Sir, I don’t know anything about it.’”
She told the court that, following the interrogation, Bamidele claimed to have gathered evidence and ordered her to write her statement.
When she protested that she had already written a statement and her lawyer was absent, she was slapped.
“I said, ‘Sir, I’ve written my statement and you tore it. Now you want me to write another one and my lawyer is not here.’ Then I got a slap on the back,” she recounted.
“I picked up the pen and told him I wasn’t feeling fine and needed to rest. He said there was no time for that.”
She said as she began writing, her hands started shaking.
“He collected the pen and said I was too slow. Then he started asking questions about my name, age, address, school, and state of origin. After that, he stopped asking and started writing the statement himself.”
She continued, “When he was done, he gave it to me to read. I said, ‘Sir, your handwriting is illegible, I can’t read it.’ He read it to me. I said, ‘Sir, these allegations are all false.’ He said, ‘That will be your story, better comply.’”
She told the court her hands were handcuffed to the seat she sat on.
He said, ‘Tomorrow, I’ll take you to the CP’s office and this is what you are to say.’ He then left me in the interrogation room, with one hand handcuffed to the chair and the other free so I could flip through the pages.”
The next morning, on June 24, 2021, Bamidele returned with another officer identified as Chris.
“They removed the handcuff, gave me water to wash my face, then asked me to narrate the statement. I missed some words and Bamidele said we were going to the CP’s office.”
“I asked if my lawyer had come. Mr Chris said I should stop being stubborn, that they’d get a government lawyer for me.”
She said when they arrived in Ikeja, the other officers exited the vehicle and she was left with Bamidele. “He asked if I still remembered the statement or if he should read it to me again.
He said, ‘Listen to me carefully, do not say otherwise to the CP if you love your life.’”
At the CP’s office, she said she narrated the story Bamidele had instructed her to tell.
“I couldn’t say anything different because of the fear. The officers brought in my father and asked him if he knew me. He said, ‘Yes, that’s my daughter.’ We were both handcuffed.”
She added, “Mr. Bamidele told me some journalists would be asking questions and I should stick to the narration. He took me to an open field and in less than a minute, people flooded around me with cameras. I answered their questions based on his instructions.”
After the police command visit, she said she was taken back to the station and into the DCP’s office. “Mr. Bamidele said he was going to record a video and I should narrate the same story. I said, ‘Sir, I’m tired, you’ve disoriented me, I need to rest.’ One team member said I should be allowed to rest for 20 minutes.”
“After 20 minutes, a young lady came and applied concealer to my face. She touched up my face. Then they held the video and Mr. Bamidele said I should start speaking. As I spoke, he stopped me and said, ‘Why are you speaking like you don’t know what you’re saying?’ I said, ‘Sir, my headache is affecting me.’”
They discussed among themselves and brought a flip chart. “As I spoke using the chart, Bamidele paused the video and said my eyes were too fixated on it. We started again. He said I was too slow and timid. We made videos several times until he found the one he liked, and then I was taken to the cell.”
Later that evening, she narrated that she was taken by another officer, Mr Oseni, to a different office where two female officers, Ms. Funke and Ms. Bola, were present.
“I was told to write another statement. I said there was already one. Funke told me to shut up and sit down. She brought a black file and a blank paper.”
“I said I was reluctant. Then a male officer smashed my head on the table. I said I was hungry, and Bola said, ‘We don’t have time for that. When you’re done, you’ll get food.’”
She wrote her name, address, and phone number before Funke took the statement, wrote a heading on it, and returned it to her. “She started dictating. My handwriting was small because I was weak. Afterwards, Oseni took me to the cell.”
“Nothing in the statement is true,” she told the court. “Not even the part about buying food from Blackbell Restaurant. He said, ‘Please sign,’ which I did, and he took me back to the cell.”
Justice Adesanya adjourned the case until May 7, 2025, for continuation of trial.
Crime
Ex-Minister Uche Nnaji Set for Arraignment as ICPC Files Six Criminal Charges Over Alleged Certificate Forgery
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has filed a six-count criminal charge against former Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, , over alleged certificate forgery and related offences.
The charges, filed before the Court in Abuja, are contained in suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/389/2026, with the Federal Government listed as the complainant and Nnaji as the sole defendant.
According to the charge sheet, the ICPC accused the former minister of receiving N29.58 million in salaries and allowances while serving in office, alleging that he ought to have known the funds were proceeds of an unlawful act arising from corruption and fraud. The commission said the action contravenes provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
The anti-graft agency also alleged that Nnaji used his office to confer corrupt advantage on himself and knowingly presented false information to the Federal Government by submitting forged (NYSC) and (UNN) certificates during his ministerial appointment in 2023.
In separate counts, the ICPC accused him of producing and using as genuine a forged NYSC Certificate of National Service and a forged UNN degree certificate, offences punishable under the Penal Code.
The filing of the charges follows Nnaji’s arrest last Wednesday after arriving in Abuja from Enugu aboard a chartered flight.
The prosecution stems from an investigation published by Premium Times, which alleged that Nnaji forged his university degree and NYSC certificates submitted to President and the Nigerian Senate during his ministerial confirmation.
The newspaper reported that the confirmed Nnaji was admitted in 1981 but neither graduated nor was issued a degree certificate, while the NYSC also reportedly disowned the discharge certificate attributed to him.
Nnaji resigned as minister shortly after the allegations became public. He has since defected from the APC to PDP, where he emerged as the governorship candidate of a faction of the party for the 2027 Enugu governorship election.
He is expected to be arraigned before the Federal High Court in the coming days.
Source: Premium Times
The Enugu State Police Command has impounded 195 vehicles for various registration and number plate violations as it commenced enforcement of the nationwide ban on unregistered vehicles and improperly identified automobiles.
The enforcement operation, led by the Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, took place across the state on Tuesday in compliance with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police.
According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, the affected vehicles were impounded for offences including operating without registration, using covered, defaced, obscured or unauthorized number plates, improperly affixed number plates, and displaying only one number plate instead of the legally required two.
The police said owners of the impounded vehicles would be arraigned in court and prosecuted in accordance with the National Road Traffic Regulations and other relevant laws.
Speaking during the exercise, CP Giwa commended officers for conducting the operation professionally and urged motorists to comply with vehicle registration and number plate regulations.
He warned that the command would sustain the enforcement exercise to enhance public safety and ensure that offenders are prosecuted.
The commissioner noted that the enforcement followed the recent directive of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, mandating all state commands to strictly enforce the ban on unregistered vehicles and prosecute violators due to the security risks such vehicles pose and their frequent use in criminal activities.
CP Giwa also cautioned police personnel against extortion, harassment or any other form of misconduct during the operation, warning that any officer found culpable would face severe disciplinary action.
He further urged owners of unregistered vehicles and those using covered, defaced, obscured, unauthorized or improperly affixed number plates to immediately regularise their documents and comply with all applicable laws.
President Bola Tinubu has directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the activities of the alleged fictitious Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) and submit its findings within 30 days.
The directive was conveyed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, titled “President Tinubu Orders ICPC to Investigate Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.”
According to the Presidency, the PFIPC was never established by the Federal Government and has no legal basis, presidential approval, executive instrument or any lawful authority to operate.
President Tinubu directed the ICPC to investigate the alleged use of forged appointment letters and other official government documents by Adeniyi Adeyemi Mathew, who presented himself as the Director-General of the council and falsely claimed to be a presidential appointee.
The investigation will also examine allegations that Adeyemi used the purported appointment to seek official recognition and diplomatic support, including visa facilitation, and opened multiple bank accounts in the names of government agencies using allegedly forged documents.
The President further instructed the anti-corruption agency to determine how the fictitious body gained an appearance of legitimacy and identify any public officials, private individuals, financial institutions or intermediaries who may have facilitated or participated in the alleged scheme.
According to the statement, the probe will cover the origin and use of the alleged forged documents, the processes through which official recognition or diplomatic support may have been sought or obtained, the opening and operation of related bank accounts, the source and movement of any funds involved, and any institutional failures that enabled the operation.
Tinubu also directed the ICPC to identify weaknesses in government procedures that were exploited and recommend measures to prevent a recurrence.
He ordered all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government to cooperate fully with the commission by providing all relevant records and information required for the investigation.
“The integrity of the Presidency and the institutions of the Federal Government must be protected against impersonation, forgery, abuse of official identity and the exploitation of weaknesses in the public service. All persons found culpable are to be treated strictly in accordance with applicable law,” the President stated.
The directive follows weeks of public scrutiny over the alleged operation of the PFIPC, which reportedly maintained offices at the Federal Secretariat Complex, opened accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria, appeared in the 2026 Appropriation Act with a budgetary allocation of N1.3 billion, and engaged diplomatic missions despite lacking any legal backing.
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), counsel to Adeyemi, had earlier questioned how the council was included in the national budget if the appointment letter was forged. He also called for an investigation into both Adeyemi and the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
The Presidency, however, denied any link between Gbajabiamila and the alleged scheme, stating that police forensic analysis confirmed that the signature on the disputed appointment letter was forged.
Onanuga said the Nigeria Police had completed its investigation before filing charges at the Federal High Court.
“The police investigated the suspect, carried out forensic analysis of the Chief of Staff’s signature and established that it was forged. They also found that all the documents he was parading were fake,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force has released Adeyemi’s father after questioning him over his son’s whereabouts.
A neighbour, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the elderly man was interrogated for several hours before being released.
“He was questioned about his son’s whereabouts, and the police also copied the contacts on his phone before allowing him to leave,” the source said.
The arrest of Adeyemi’s father on Monday had drawn criticism from Falana, who questioned the legality of the action.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has alleged that former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, violated the conditions attached to a court-approved medical visit while in the commission’s custody.
The anti-graft agency also announced the arrest of El-Rufai’s personal physician, Professor Bello Abubakar, over alleged false statements made during the incident.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by its spokesperson and Head of Media and Public Communications, John Odey, the ICPC said it approved El-Rufai’s medical visit in compliance with a Kaduna State High Court order and in keeping with its obligation to respect the rights and welfare of persons in its custody.
According to the commission, the Kaduna State High Court had fixed July 6, 7 and 8, 2026, for the accelerated hearing of criminal charges against the former governor. However, El-Rufai was absent when proceedings commenced on the first day.
The ICPC said its prosecution team informed the court that when officers arrived to convey El-Rufai to court, he declined to accompany them, insisting on seeing his personal physician.
The commission stated that no prior request had been made for the medical consultation and that when questioned by its medical doctor, El-Rufai reportedly said he had no immediate medical complaints but explained that his wife, Asia El-Rufai, who is also one of his legal counsel, requested that he consult his personal physician, Professor Bello Abubakar.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter until July 15, 2026, to hear El-Rufai’s application seeking the trial judge’s recusal and to await the decision of the Kaduna State Chief Judge on a petition seeking the transfer of the case.
Despite the adjournment, the ICPC said it approved the hospital visit in line with the court’s directive.
The commission said its medical and security personnel accompanied El-Rufai to the private wing of the National Hospital, Abuja, on Tuesday and remained outside the consultation room at the request of his family members while he was being attended to by an oncologist.
However, the ICPC alleged that it later discovered photographs posted on Facebook by one of El-Rufai’s political associates, Isa Ashiru Kudan, showing the former governor receiving several visitors, including Professor Abubakar, during the period designated for the medical consultation.
According to the commission, the photographs suggested that the hospital visit was used for activities beyond the purpose approved by the court.
“The images and post by Isa Kudan indicated that the arranged medical visit was utilised for activities outside the scope contemplated by the court and the ICPC. This is a clear violation of the court order,” the statement said.
The commission said it had treated El-Rufai and other suspects in its custody with professionalism, patience and courtesy, but alleged that its goodwill had been abused.
It added that it would bring the alleged violation of the court order to the attention of the court.
The ICPC also announced that Professor Bello Abubakar had been taken into custody for further investigation over alleged false statements.
The commission reaffirmed its commitment to operating within the law, warning that it would not tolerate any abuse of its goodwill or disregard for court orders.
The controversy surrounding the alleged N1.3 billion Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council scandal deepened on Monday following the reported arrest of the father of the council’s embattled promoter, Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force.
Adeyemi, who claims to be the Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, is currently standing trial before the Federal High Court in Abuja on charges bordering on conspiracy, forgery and impersonation. The Federal Government has listed the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and 10 others as prosecution witnesses.
The arrest of Adeyemi’s father reportedly took place at the family’s residence in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, on Monday. According to Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, police officers stormed the residence and took the elderly man into custody.
“The father has been arrested. There is no legal basis for substituted arrests. The young man has promised to appear in court, so why arrest his father?” Falana said.
Eyewitnesses alleged that police officers arrived in four vehicles, prevented neighbours from intervening, and took the elderly man to a police station. A family friend who was visiting the residence was also reportedly arrested, while Adeyemi’s aged mother was left in a state of shock.
The development has sparked concerns among legal practitioners and human rights advocates over the legality of the arrest.
President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Afam Osigwe, cautioned against drawing conclusions without knowing the reasons behind the arrest.
“If a person is arrested solely to pressure a suspect to surrender, such an arrest is unlawful,” Osigwe said. “However, if the father is himself a suspect or a person of interest in the investigation, then the law permits his arrest.”
Similarly, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Sam Erugo, maintained that arresting a parent for an offence allegedly committed by a child is unlawful.
According to Erugo, Section 7 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, expressly prohibits arrest by proxy or in lieu of another person.
He, however, urged the Nigeria Police Force to clarify the circumstances surrounding the arrest, stressing that the public deserves a clear explanation from the authorities.
The Nigeria Police Force had yet to issue an official statement on the reported arrest as of the time of filing this report.
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