A former University of Lagos student, Chidinma Ojukwu, on Monday, told the Lagos State High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square that she never discussed the death of Super TV Chief Executive Officer, Michael Usifo Ataga, with her co-defendant, Adedapo Quadri.

Ojukwu, a former 300-level Mass Communication student, said her only dealings with Quadri were limited to the supply of Loud, a form of cannabis, and Rohypnol, as well as his assistance in producing her school identity card.

“I never had any discussion with Adedapo Quadri about the death of Mr. Ataga,” Ojukwu told the court during cross-examination by the second defendant’s counsel, Babatunde Busari.

“The only transactions we had were for the supply of Loud and Rohypnol. He also helped me produce my school ID card,” she said.

Ojukwu and Quadri are accused of conspiring to murder Ataga on June 15, 2021, by stabbing him multiple times in the neck and chest at No. 19, Adewale Oshin Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.

She is standing trial alongside Quadri and a third defendant, Chioma Egbuchu, who is her sister on a nine-count charge filed by the Lagos State Government.

Ojukwu and Quadri are facing eight counts bordering on conspiracy, murder, and stabbing, while Egbuchu is facing one count of stealing Ataga’s iPhone 7.

The defendants were arraigned on October 12, 2021.

At the resumed hearing of the trial on Monday, Quadri’s lawyer, Babatunde Busari, cross-examined Ojukwu, who insisted that Quadri was unaware of her activities with Ataga at the short-let apartment in Lekki where the incident occurred.

“Quadri didn’t know anything that happened between me and Mr. Ataga at the apartment.

“He never visited me there throughout my stay. I only called him to supply Loud and Rohypnol after Mr. Ataga said he had just one stick of Loud left,” she said.

Ojukwu admitted to taking a brown envelope from the apartment where the incident occurred when she left, explaining that it contained several personal documents belonging to Ataga and Mary Johnson.

“I took the brown envelope when I was leaving the apartment,” she said.

She confirmed that the items inside the brown envelope were “Mr. Ataga’s ID card, office complimentary cards, a driving licence, his Access Bank statement, a passport belonging to one Mary Johnson, as well as UBA statements of account.”

She said she informed the police during interrogation at her Yaba residence that she had taken the envelope by mistake.

“When the police came to my house at No. 57 Akinwunmi Street, Alagomeji, Yaba, I told DSP Olusegun Bamidele that I mistakenly took the envelope home,” Ojukwu told the court.

The defendant also clarified that she obtained her passport by herself and that another person, not Quadri, helped her get her driving licence and other documents.

“My conversation with Quadri on the phone was only about Loud and Rohypnol,” she said.

Earlier in the proceedings, prosecution counsel, Mr. Yusuf Sule, announced his appearance, while Mr. Onwuka Egwu represented Ojukwu. M.A. Abiabasi appeared for the third defendant, Chioma Egbuchu.

Egwu reminded the court that at the last adjourned date, he had sought to tender certain letters which the prosecution had objected to.

He said, “I wrote a letter to the prosecution on October 29, 2021, requesting the production of items released on bond to the nominal complainant.”

Sule, however, told the court that the prosecution did not come across any such document.

After hearing both parties, Justice Yetunde Adesanya directed Egwu to tender the letters.

Egwu tendered four letters through Ojukwu, all of which were admitted in evidence.

In her ruling, Justice Adesanya held that the letter dated October 29, 2021, addressed to the Director of Public Prosecutions and duly acknowledged, was admissible.

“The letter is properly before the court and is therefore admissible in evidence,” the judge said.

She also admitted other letters addressed to the Ministry of Justice, the Attorney-General of Lagos State, and the Inspector-General of Police, copies of which were sent to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police and Panti.

The judge further admitted Ojukwu’s handwritten letter appointing Egwu as her counsel, ruling that “the document attached to the previous correspondence is admissible.”

Justice Adesanya overruled the prosecution’s objection to not tendering the documents through Ojukwu.

The judge held,” The maker of this document is relevant and the relevance is therefore relevant as relevance can be, the objection is overruled and I so hold”.

Following the ruling, Egwu tendered an iPhone 7 Plus, an iPhone 11 Pro, an iPhone X, and a MacBook through Ojukwu.

She identified the devices, saying, “The iPhone 7 Plus belongs to my sister, while the iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone X, and the silver 2019 MacBook Pro are mine. I sold the MacBook to a vendor.”

Justice Adesanya adjourned the case to November 6, 2025, for continuation of the trial.

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The Indian police have busted a major drug network allegedly operated by three Nigerian women, recovering quantities of illicit drugs, including cocaine, from their possession in Delhi, India.

PUNCH Metro learnt from the Times of India on Monday that the women, simply identified as Precious, Gift, and Joy, were apprehended near Bakhtawar Chowk.

This followed the arrest of an Indian national, Adarsh Sahu, in connection with the illicit trade.

The report reads, “Four people, including three Nigerian women, were arrested for allegedly running a drug supply network in Delhi’s Khanpur area and cops seized a large quantity of MDMA and cocaine from their possession.”

“According to police, the accused, identified as Precious, Gift, and Joy from Nigeria, were arrested near Bakhtawar Chowk.”

According to the news platform, the arrest came to light after cops were tipped off about Adarsh Sahu, an Indian national, resident of Badaun district in Uttar Pradesh, supplying drugs.

“Sahu, a resident of Badaun district in Uttar Pradesh, was caught with 26 grams of MDMA near Green Health Pharmacy in Sector 39 on Saturday after investigation,” the report added.

The news agency further revealed that police said Sahu’s arrest led to the uncovering of an international drug supply chain led by the Nigerian women.

“We received specific information from an informant that Adarsh Sahu in Jharsa village was involved in selling drugs. Acting on this, we conducted a raid and arrested him. From his possession, we recovered MDMA in commercial quantity,” an investigating officer said.

Sahu was, however, said to have confessed during interrogation that he sourced the drugs from two Nigerian women, Precious and Gift, who were based in Delhi. The police, acting on the tip-off, formed another team that arrested the three women and recovered 39 grams of MDMA.

Upon further questioning of the suspects, the officers got a tip-off to a rented apartment in Khanpur Extension, Delhi, where another Nigerian, Joy, was found.

A raid of the premises by the police led to the recovery of 22 grams of white MDMA, three grams of brown MDMA, and 9 grams of cocaine, along with an electronic weighing scale, packaging materials, and mobile phones.

However, the accused have been remanded in police custody for further interrogation to uncover other members of the international drug network.

PUNCH Metro had earlier reported about a Nigerian man arrested by Thai authorities for drug trafficking following a nightclub raid in Bangkok.

This latest arrest adds to the growing concern of the involvement of foreigners, especially Nigerians in a drug network syndicate across Asia.

Gunmen in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Monday, waylaid a bank depositor of an unspecified amount of money as well as inflicted injuries on a police officer at the Osuntokun area, in the Ibadan North Local Government Area of the state.

Eyewitnesses told PUNCH Metro on Monday that the victim was trailed from one of the banks where he had gone to make a withdrawal by the suspected gunmen.

One of the eyewitnesses, who did not want her name in print, said, “The unsuspecting victim was forcibly dispossessed of a substantial amount of money by the suspected gunmen.

“Also, a police officer who was on a routine patrol was severely injured during the raid.

Confirming the attacks in a statement in Ibadan, the state capital, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, stated that the robbery happened at approximately 8:00 am on Secretariat Road, Agodi.

He said, “A bank depositor travelling in a metallic grey Nissan Primera with plate number EPE 901 PS was tracked and forcibly robbed of a substantial, yet-to-be-ascertained amount of cash.

“Initial investigations indicate that an officer associated with the state police command sustained severe injuries during a confrontation that arose when his team on patrol engaged the suspects in a bid to thwart their further plans of causing chaos following the attack on the unsuspecting individual.

“Fortunately, there have been no reported fatalities, and the injured officer is currently receiving immediate medical attention at a secure healthcare facility.”

The command, therefore, urged members of the community to come forward with any credible and timely information that may aid in the prompt apprehension of the suspects involved.

“We assure the public that an extensive investigation is underway, and updates will be communicated as they become available,” the statement added.

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