Chidinma Admitted Spiking Late Usifo Ataga’s Drink – Police DSP Tells Court
The trial of Chidinma Ojukwu and Adedapo Quadri, the accused killers of Usifo Ataga, a prominent businessman, took a dramatic turn on Thursday as the prosecution’s star witness, Michael Usifo, admitted that he had no expertise on the drug Rophynol, which was allegedly used to incapacitate the victim.
Usifo, who claimed to be a friend of Chidinma, testified that she had confessed to him that she had spiked Ataga’s drink with Rophynol, a sedative that can cause memory loss and unconsciousness. He also said that he had obtained a call log from the telephone network that showed the communication between Chidinma and Quadri, who allegedly supplied the drug.
However, under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Mr. Busari, Usifo revealed that he had not tendered the transcript of the call log in evidence, raising doubts about its authenticity. He also admitted that he had no training in narcotics or pharmaceutical speciality, and that he had not obtained a report from the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on the Rophynol sample that he had tendered.
Busari challenged Usifo’s credibility, suggesting that he had fabricated the story to implicate the defendants. He asked Usifo why he had believed Chidinma’s confession, to which he replied: “It’s not like I believe, based on my interaction with her, she told me what she did and I believed her”.
The defence counsel argued that Usifo’s testimony was unreliable and inadmissible, and that there was no conclusive evidence that Rophynol was used or that it had any effect on the victim. He also pointed out that the autopsy report had shown that Ataga had died of multiple stab wounds, not drug overdose.
The trial, which has attracted widespread public attention, was adjourned till January 29 by Justice Adesanya, who presided over the case. The defendants, who have pleaded not guilty, face the death penalty if convicted.
