The Lagos Police Commissioner, Hakeem Odumosu has confirmed that more suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of late SuperTV boss, Usifo Ataga.
This was disclosed by the police boss during a briefing and parade of over 1,000 suspects at the Command headquarters in Ikeja.
Though details on the number of suspects arrested was not revealed nor their connection to the murder, Odumosu said the case was progressing and the police would never compromise on it.
He reminded the public the prime suspect, Chidinma Ojokwu, 21, was still a suspect with her rights guaranteed by the constitution, dismissing insinuations the police were attempting to give her a soft landing.
Odumosu said: “We have established a case of conspiracy in the murder and we have arrested more suspects.”
Ataga, 50, was killed on June 15 at a short-let apartment where he was spending the weekend with his lover, Ojokwu.
Ojokwu, who earlier confessed to have stabbed the deceased to death before stealing his belongings, later refuted her statement claiming she returned from an errand to find him lying in a pool of his blood.
Meanwhile, the house of representatives has asked the Nigeria police to stop parading Chidinma Ojukwu, the alleged killer of Usifo Ataga, Super TV CEO.
During plenary session yesterday, the lawmakers called on the police to conduct a “proper investigation into the matter” and refrain from parading the suspect to grant interviews since the issue is under investigation.
The resolution of the lower legislative chamber was passed following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance moved by Tolu Akande-Sadipe, a lawmaker from Oyo state.
Akande-Sadipe said it is unlawful for the police to engage in “social media trial” of the suspect.
“The law of Nigeria does not allow for social media trials and matters that are sub judice (meaning before the court or not yet judicially decided) are not to be discussed by the media,” she said.
“Section 36(5) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) provides that every person who is charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed to be innocent until he is proved guilty.
“Thus, so long as Ms. Ojukwu has not been proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction, she is not to be labelled a criminal, or paraded about to conduct a series of interviews on a case currently under investigation. Rather, the police are to conduct a proper investigation and allow the court to consider the matter and make an informed judgment.”
The lawmaker argued that the continued parading of the suspect can “affect the determination and outcome of the case, as well as amount to a breach of her fundamental right to fair hearing, especially where she is labelled or treated as one guilty of a crime”.
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