•13 more suspects nabbed •Lalong talks tough
Constitutional lawyer Chief Mike Ozekhome has confirmed being briefed by the family of murdered SuperTV boss Michael Ataga to ensure they got justice.
He confirmed his legal representation of the family to The Nation yesterday.
Asked if he was to watch briefs on behalf of the family or whether a fiat had been obtained from the state to enable him undertake the prosecution, Ozekhome said: “All I can confirm to you is that I have been briefed by the family to ensure that justice is done in the matter.”
The bereaved family last week alleged they were not notified by the police when prime suspect Chidinma Ojukwu and others were separately arraigned before a Yaba Magistrate’s Court.
The family also accused the police of alleged attempt to cover up the killers, and low level of professionalism in bringing Ataga’s killers to book.
Ataga, 50, was murdered on June 15 at an apartment in Lekki, Lagos, where he was spending time with his undergraduate lover Ojukwu, 21.
The police, on June 21, arrested Ojukwu who initially confessed to have killed the businessman but later recanted, saying she knew nothing about her boyfriend’s death.
In the course of police investigation, other suspects including Ojukwu’s adopted father, Emmanuel Ojukwu and one Babalola Disu were also arraigned for preventing the police from performing their duties and refusal to report a crime.
In its accusation of the police, the family expressed shock that Disu, whom they highly suspected to have committed the murder, was charged with obstruction of justice and failure to report a crime.
It said its suspicion of Disu was based on information they received that his apartment was directly opposite the one in which Ataga was killed.
The family alleged that Disu had asked that the facility’s carpenter be called to fix his door only for the carpenter to be told later that it was Ataga’s door that was broken.
It also expressed displeasure about what it termed alleged comfortable movement of Ojukwu from court to the prison in a hailing cab ride without handcuffs on her.
