Crime

Ataga: Police forced me to write false statement, says Chidinma

Published

1 year ago

April 30, 2025

Chidinma Ojukwu, a former 300-level Mass Communication student at the University of Lagos, on Tuesday, told a Lagos State High Court that every statement she made to the police during interrogation was false and made under duress.

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 He said N5m had been withdrawn and another N20,000 withdrawn a few times, totalling N5,380,000.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 read the statement over and over to me and gave me a short narration.

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

Anambra Police Burst Gunmen Armoury in Orumba

Published

3 days ago

May 7, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The Violent Crime Response Unit of the Anambra State Police Command has uncovered and destroyed an armoury belonging to suspected separatist gunmen at Owerre-Ezukala in Orumba South Local Government Area.
The operation, led by Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Orebe Chidubem Matthew, followed intelligence obtained from a member of the gang currently in police custody.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the police disclosed that the camp had previously been dislodged by a Joint Task Force on security operations. However, some members of the gang who escaped during the earlier raid reportedly regrouped and attempted to resume operations.
According to the statement, items recovered from the armoury include one General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) with about 2,000 rounds of live chain ammunition, two fabricated rocket launchers with 25 propellers, 10 locally-made Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), one locally-made Beretta pistol, two pump-action guns, three hand grenades, 10 rounds of K2 live ammunition, one gas cylinder, and one black Ecolac box.
“Recall that the camp was earlier destroyed by a Joint Security Team. Before the confession by the suspect in custody, intelligence had been received over time on how some escaped gang members were attempting to regroup. However, operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit resisted and dismantled the camp following a gun duel with the unrepentant members,” the statement read.
The police further stated that some of the armed suspects fled the scene with varying degrees of bullet injuries sustained during the exchange of gunfire.
Further investigations revealed that the suspect in custody confessed to involvement in several violent attacks across Anambra State, including attacks on police facilities, the killing of security personnel comprising police, military, and civil defence officers, attacks on government facilities, and the murder of security operatives on stop-and-search duties on various roads in the state.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, noted that with the establishment of the Violent Crime Response Unit, operatives of the command are now better positioned and more motivated to sustain offensive operations against criminal elements threatening the peace and security of the state.

Crime

Enugu Assembly Orders Salary Suspension Over Alleged Land Fraud

Published

2 weeks ago

April 28, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

The Enugu State House of Assembly has ordered the immediate suspension of the salary of Dr. Kate Okolo, a staff member of the Enugu State College of Education, over her alleged involvement in a controversial land deal.
The directive was issued on Tuesday in Enugu by the Chairman of the House Special Committee on Land Conflicts, Mr. Okey Mbah, as part of an ongoing investigation into a decade-long land fraud.
Mbah emphasized that the suspension is not a witch-hunt but a clear signal that the era of impunity in land administration in the state is over.
The committee, currently probing petitions from staff of the institution and members of the public, accused key figures in the Women in College of Education Organisation (WICE) of engaging in land racketeering and fraudulent sales.
According to petitioners, the scheme—introduced between 2009 and 2011 under the leadership of the late Mrs. Ugoma Ndubisi and Dr. Okolo—encouraged individuals to market plots of land known as “WICE Land” to colleagues, friends, and family members.
One victim, who pleaded anonymity, told lawmakers they invested in the scheme because it was presented as a credible internal arrangement.
“We paid in full and have receipts, but for over 13 years, we have not been allocated any land,” the petitioner said.
Testimonies further revealed that the situation worsened following the death of Mrs. Ndubisi, with allegations that Dr. Okolo altered the original terms of the transactions.
“She changed the name from Ukano to Ukano Bold, increased the prices, reduced plot sizes, and claimed that many of us did not pay.
“We are now being asked to pay again for land we already purchased.
“All we want is either our land or our money back,” another petitioner stated.
In response, Mbah assured the petitioners that the Assembly remains committed to ensuring justice.
“We have listened to your grievances, and this committee will see this matter through to a logical conclusion.
“No one found culpable will be shielded,” he said.

Crime

NYSC Member Killed by Stray Bullet During Army, Robbers Gun Battle in Abuja

Published

2 weeks ago

April 27, 2026

Everydaynewsngr

A serving member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Abdulsamad Jamiu, has died after being struck by a stray bullet during a gun battle between troops of the Nigerian Army and fleeing armed robbers in Shagari Estate, Dei-Dei, Abuja.
The tragic incident occurred in the early hours of April 25, 2026, when troops of the Guards Brigade Quick Response Group, on routine night patrol, responded to a distress call over an armed robbery attack in the area.
Confirming the development in a statement issued on Sunday, Lieutenant Olawuyi Odunola, Acting Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, Headquarters Guards Brigade, said the troops came under gunfire immediately upon arrival, leading to a brief but intense exchange with the suspected robbers.
According to the Army, the corps member was caught in the crossfire during the operation and later died from injuries sustained.
“Headquarters Guards Brigade regrets the tragic loss of Mr Abdulsamad Jamiu, a serving National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, during a security incident in the early hours of 25 April 2026 at Shagari Estate, Dei-Dei, Abuja,” the statement read.
“The unfortunate incident occurred when troops of the Guards Brigade Quick Response Group, on routine night patrol, responded to a distress call following an armed robbery attack in the area. Upon arrival, the troops came under gunfire from the fleeing armed robbers, resulting in a brief but intense exchange.”
The Army explained that despite efforts by the soldiers to secure the area and protect residents, Jamiu sadly succumbed after being hit during the confrontation.
“In the course of the engagement, Mr Jamiu was caught in the crossfire. Despite the efforts of troops to secure the area and preserve lives, he sadly succumbed to his injuries.
“This heartbreaking loss has cast a deep shadow over all personnel of the Guards Brigade,” the statement added.
Military authorities said preliminary findings indicated the situation was highly volatile as troops moved swiftly to repel the attackers and protect residents of the community.
The Commander of the Guards Brigade, alongside officers and soldiers, extended condolences to the deceased’s family, the NYSC, and others affected by the tragedy.
“The Commander, Guards Brigade, officers and soldiers extend their deepest and most heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased, the National Youth Service Corps, and all who are affected by this painful loss. We share in their grief and stand in solidarity with them during this moment of profound sorrow,” the Army stated.
The Brigade also disclosed that a full investigation has been launched to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the incident, promising transparency and accountability.
“The Brigade has since initiated a thorough investigation to fully ascertain the circumstances surrounding the incident. We remain committed to transparency and accountability. The findings will be made available in due course,” it added.
The remains of the deceased have been handed over to appropriate civil authorities and deposited at Kubwa General Hospital.
The Guards Brigade reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property across the Federal Capital Territory, stating it would continue reviewing its operational procedures to enhance civilian safety while combating criminal elements.