'How police force me to write incriminating statement', Chidinma Ojukwu

Andrew Gift,

BBC Pidgin, Lagos

Chidinma Ojukwu, di main suspect for di alleged murder of Super TV Boss Usifo Ataga give testimony for court for di first time since di trial start.

Her testimony on Thursday dey based on a case of trial within trial wey judge Yetunde Adesanya order.

Na to determine weda police collect statements from Chidinma under duress.

Chidinma, her sister Chioma Egbuchu and one Adedapo Quadri dey face charges for court say dem get hand for di incident wey lead to di death of di broadcaster.

Di chargers include murder, conspiracy and stealing.

Since di case start, di court don receive plenti witnesses wey include police officers, gateman and owner of di services apartment wia dem find Usifo body, but Chidinma neva get chance to tok until today.

Wetin Chidinma tell court

Chidinma enter witness stand for di first time ever for di case and tell court say she give di statement under duress.

She say police slap at least three times in di process of making her write di statement.

“On di 23rd of June 2022, I dey my room wit my small sister. My sister tell me say e get men wey dey for sitting room dey ask of me. Wen I come out, I greet dem, dem ask me, na you be Chidinma? I say yes", she tell court.

She say dem ask am wia late Ataga phone dey, dem also ask of im Range Rover car but she tell dem say she no know wia dem dey.

“My sister go wake my papa for im room. E come out and ask who dem be. Dem say dem be police men from Panti station. Dem say dem dey dia to arrest me and to search di house, or make I bring out di phone. I tell dem say I no know anytin about di phone or di car,” na so she tok.

According to her, one of di police men raise im hand to slap her but her papa shout on am, say im no fit slap im pikin for im house.

Di prosecution lawyer Oluwafemi Adenike object to di tori wey Chidinma dey tell, say wetin she suppose tok na only about how police collect her statement, as na trial within trial dem dey.

Di judge direct make Chidinma stick to how police take collect her statements.

Chidinma kontinu say dem handcuff am and carri her for dia vehicle, say she come tell her papa make e call dia family lawyer Onwuka before dem drive off.

Wetin happun for police station

According to Chidinma, wen dem reach police station, dem carri her go Deputy Commissioner of Police DCP office, say di DCP and oda police me ask am questions.

“Dem bring in my dad, di DCP tell am make e no dey obstruct dia men from doing dia work. E order us back to di house for searching, after dat we go back to di DCP office, im begin question me about Usifo Ataga death. I tell dem say I no nothing about im death” na wetin Chidinma tell court.

She say di DCP order make dem carri am go interrogation. According to her di IPO Mr Bamidele carri am go interrogation room with one Chris.

“Dem give me plain statement form. Dem say make I write wetin happun. Wen I start to dey write, dem cuff my left hand to di chair. I write wetin I tell dem for di DCP office”.

Chidinma wey be di first defendant say in di middle of writing, Dele collect di paper and go through am, say dis no be wetin happun. I but Chidinma reply tell am say dis tin wey she write na wetin happun.

She say before she begin write di statement, she tell di officer say she bin don tell her papa to call her lawyer, say make im ask di papa weda e don call di lawyer.

But according to her, she say di officer answer say her papa no fit make call as e dey custody wit dem. Na dat time she begin write di statement.

“So wen im collect di statement wey I write and say no be dis tin happun. I tell am say dis na wetin happun. Dem give me two slaps for my back. Di slap na from either Mr Chris or Mr Jeinyo.”

She say Mr Bamidele tell am say ‘you go write di truth’ but she reply say ‘I bin dey write and you tear am’.

“Mr Bamidele say if I no comply, my relatives including my dad, my sister go dey charged wit murder case. E bring out im phone, play video of di scene, di apartment and show pictures of Mr Ataga body, E say now you go write, den I start to dey write”.

“For di introduction, e say why I dey do slow, dem give me anoda slap for di back. I tell am say I no dey feel well, say I need to rest. E say time no dey for dat. Di IPO collect di statement from me and begin write. Mr Chris handcuff my two hands to di chair” na so she tok.

Police handcuff me, write di statement for me

Chidinma say wen she dey write di introduction, oga Bamidele ask why she dey do slow slow, say dem give am anoda slap for di back.

“I tell am say I no dey feel well, say I need to rest. E say time no dey for dat. Di IPO collect di statement from me and begin write. Mr Chris handcuff my two hands to di chair” na so she tok.

“For di beginning of di writing, e dey ask me questions, e later stop to dey ask questions. Wen e stop to dey write, e read di statement to me. I tell am, dis no be wetin happun. E tell me say dis na wetin I go tok or dem go charge my family”.

She say di IPO read di statement over and over again for her, tell her to rehearse am, say tomorrow dem go carri her go police commissioner office, say if she reach dia, na wetin she go tok.

“E leave me there, dis na around midnight. E come back in di morning di next day wit Mr Chris. E say make I sign di statement, I dey dull to sign am, Mr Chris tell me say e better make I sign am. Say nobody dey come for me”.

She say she sign di statement di next day June 24. Dem remove her handcuffs and bring her out from di interrogation room. Dem giv her water to wash her face, den dem enter di car drive go Ikeja.

“Wen odas comot from di car, e remain me and Mr Dele, e say weda make e read di statement for me again? E read am to me, and tell me say na wetin I go tell di commissioner of police.

“Wen I enter di commissioner of police office, I say wetin Mr Dele write” na wetin Chidinma tok.

Cross examination by counsels

After Chidinma give testimony finish, her lawyer begin ask her further questions. E ask am wia im papa dey wen all dis process dey go on, she say “dis time my papa dey for di second car. Wen I comot from di first car, I see am wit police men on handcuff”.

Wen di counsel ask wia her family bin dey dat time, she say ‘in custody’.

About weda dem record her interaction wit di police commissioner, she say she no know.

After I answer di commissioner finish, we comot from di office. Dem carri me go downstairs, I see plenty cameras (pressmen) evriwia.

Di counsel ask am wetin be her state of mind dat morning, she say she bin no dey feel well.

“After dem carri me go see press pipo, we drive back to di police station Panti, Mr. Dele tell me say dem go do video recording, say ‘dis tin wey you bin dey tok, tok am for dis video’. Evritin e write for di statement, dem record for di video, di one dem bring to di court. Dem carri me go back to di cell” na so she tok.

She say for di evening of di 24th, Mr Oseni (di officer incharge) bring her out of di cell and carri her go one office. Anoda officer officer Funke Madeyinlo dey dia wit anoda female officer Bola.

Dem seat her down. Mr Oseni comot. Dem bring blank statement, Mrs Funke say I dey dia to write statement. I tell am say I don already write statement and I dey tired, I never eat, say I need food.

She say “wen I write finish, one officer Jeinyo waka enter, as I sidon, officer Jeinyo come beside me, carri my head hit am for table. E tell me say we no dey here to play. Before den di oda female officer Bola don waka comot. Officer Funke say make I begin write. I write di date, my name, she bring out anoda paper wey get writing ontop. She begin dictate, say make I begin write wetin she dey read. I begin write, I no fit write well cos I bin dey get headache”.

According to her at di end di officer turn di back of di statement and tell her to sign and she sign.

She say Mr Oseni enter after Mr Jeinyo don comot. Dem carri her go back cell.

Di prosecution counsel Mrs Adenike ask am weda dem dictate both statements to am, as both no be di same, one na confessional, di oda na denial statement.

She say dem dictate one to am and dem write di oda one. She say she no report di matter to anyone wen dem hit her head for table unto say she no get anyone to report to.

Judge Yetunde Adesanya rule say e dey give di defense counsel 14 days to write im written address on di matter, while di prosecution counsel also get 14 days to reply wit her own written address.

Di judge adjourn di case January 11 for adoption of written addresses.