The security guard on duty at the apartment where the Super TV CEO, Michael Ataga, was murdered has given his testimony in court today.
We recall that Michael Ataga was murdered on June 15th 2021, in a service apartment in Lekki by Ms Chidinma Ojukwu, a 300L Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos.
As the trial proceedings are still underway, the guard on duty was called to the stand to give his testimony on the event that led to the discovery of the dead body.
Abubakar Mohammed, who was on duty at 19 Adewale Oshin Street, Lekki Phase 1 at the said date, is the second prosecution witness.
During his testimony on Tuesday, Mohammed revealed that around 5:30 pm, he got a phone call from his boss, Nkechi Mogbo, that a lady was coming to check out the apartment.
“The said lady arrived later to check out the studio apartment for a short let”, he said.
He continued, “a man also came in a black Range Rover Jeep around 10:30 pm, and I asked him to park well, thinking he was there to attend a neighbours party.”
He said the lady later came out to tell him the man in the jeep was visiting her.
He further stated that Mr Ataga and Ms Chidinma occupied the studio apartment from June 13th to 15.
He said on Monday, June 14th, around 12:30 pm, Chidinma went to get some things and around 2:30 and 3 pm, a dispatch rider came asking if the house number was “19”.
He narrated that the dispatch rider said someone had been calling him with a private number, and there was no way he could have called the person back as the person described the said address.
“I told the dispatch man, if it is here, you can wait; the person will come,” Mohammed explained.
He continued that Chidinma came out later to collect her package from the dispatch rider.
He asked the rider what was in the package after Ms Chidinma left but said he didn’t know as he was only delivering.
At about 8 pm on Tuesday, June 15th, he said Chidinma left the compound carrying a small bag and never returned.
Mohammed said the waste collectors came to the area the next day, and he called on Confidence, the cleaner, to collect the waste in all the apartments.
“Confidence came back with a few empty bottles and told me that the door to the studio apartment was open, i knocked severally but got no response.” he continued.
He said he went to the apartment to check it out, and he discovered that a chair was used to block the door from the inside after peeping through the door.
“I then saw a man lying lifeless on the floor; then I went out to call Confidence and showed her the body,” he said.
“I tried calling my madam, but her call came through telling me someone’s money was due and should evacuate the apartment by 12:30 pm.”
“I told her there was a problem and there was a body in the studio room,” he stated
He said the death was reported to the Police, and they evacuated the body, as they were also called in for interrogation by the Police.
“On Thursday, at 6 pm, Ms Ojukwu called me with a private number, and my mind told me to record the conversation.”
He asked why she was calling him with a private number, but she said sorry.
She said, “that jeep, is it around?” I asked her which jeep? She said black Range Rover.”
He said he asked why she left on Tuesday night, and she said she went for a meeting while asking if the man was okay.
“I asked what time she was coming back, but she said she was coming. I then asked her to use her phone number to call me and she said okay,”
He said he was held at the Police Division at Panti for a whole day while being questioned.
After his release, he searched for a number that had called him previously and added it to his contact to access the Whatsapp profile.
He was able to get a profile picture of Chidinma, which he then sent to his boss, who forwarded it to the Police.
He said he was called a week later that the suspect had been arrested at the State Criminal Investigation Division, Panti, as he was needed to identify the suspect.
The first defendant’s counsel cross-examined Mohammed after his testimony, and the case was adjourned till November 17th.