By Ife Osemedua
365Daily– Outrage and condemnation have trailed the recent release of a video clip of Chidinma Ojukwu, the suspect in the murder case of Super TV boss, Usifo Ataga, where she recanted her earlier confession a few weeks after claiming responsibility for his death.
This latest development and the seeming free access to the media she is currently enjoying while in police custody, even as investigation into the heinous murder case is still ongoing, have raised questions about the propriety and motive of the multiple media interviews and her changing narrative.
Apparently dissatisfied with the way the police is handling the murder suspect, especially with the conflicting narrative in the recently released video, a Lagos based lawyer, Jiti Ogunye, queried on his Facebook page,
“Who wrote this unsavoury Chidinma Script?
Investigative Journalists should come to our rescue, please.
“The Police appear to be a part of this sordid script.
And they must also be frisked and quizzed!”
Another lawyer and human rights activist, Richard Akinnola, reacting to the video many have described as distasteful, said, “I think there is a deliberate attempt to scuttle this murder investigation because l don’t understand who arranges these media interviews with this suspect, Chidinma, in police custody, with well-coiffured hair and the narratives changing with each media interview. I thought this was a serious matter and not a media circus?”
Responding to Akinnola’s submission, someone commented, “I agree with you 100 per cent. I have never seen a suspect in the custody of the Nigerian Police in my entire life looking so fly, happy, smiling and granting interview for murder case like a celebrity, without remorse. This is indeed a case study.”
Writing under the same social media post, a responder said, “Bros Abeg leave mata. Defense strategy in motion. We all know that in a transparent justice system, everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty; any and all coerced statements including but not limited to confessions are inadmissible in a court of law. The police paraded her. The police coerced her to confess. The police intimidated a possible witness to a crime, and to some extent, a victim of crime. We are in interesting times.”
But another commenter posited thus: “Very deliberate interview and a very deliberate effort in the make-up of the suspect. From the hairstyling to the entire appearance, the mannerism etc, a great effort was put to portray a positive image aimed to changing perception. Could the police be part of this? Difficult to tell judging from the comments of the Police Chief in the video. Possible the police didn’t know what the final production was going to look like until it came out. Possible too the family members of the deceased didn’t know until the final video came out. But one gets the impression, the entire thing was done in the interest of the main suspect. Well, make we dey look sha. Certainly, investigative journalism could help.”
Also writing on Facebook, yet another person gave his own opinion about the case: “I watched the video and my take is simple. This is a circus show, the girl is meant to entertain the unsuspecting public.
“The puppeteer(s) are behind the scene directing the movie as they like.
“Unfortunately, Usifo Ataga is gone, killed mercilessly and this girl looking like someone who just stepped out of expensive and swanky hotel room is only meant to distract us the unsuspecting public.
“When they are done, that girl will be taken away to another country, adopt a new identity and end of the whole charade.
“My people in Ijebu will say ęni ku ri ti rę gbe” (the loser is the dead one).”
365Daily had earlier reported that Chidinma had last month confessed to stabbing Ataga “twice on the neck side” while she was being paraded by the Lagos State Police Command.
The embattled student had alleged that the businessman had forcefully had sex with her the first time but a dispute ensued after he attempted it again.
But in a recent interview with Crime Fighters, Chidinma said she admitted to killing Ataga at the time because of pressure and because nobody believed her.
The 21-year old student also claimed that she had met the deceased in a pool of blood when she returned from where she had gone to get food and drugs for the pair.