Four years after her sensational arrest that shocked the nation, Chidinma Ojukwu, the young lady accused of killing Super TV Chief Executive Officer, Usifo Ataga, remains in detention, still facing trial in Lagos.
Once a 24-year-old Mass Communication student at the University of Lagos and a self-styled “Lagos big girl,”
Chidinma’s life came to a halt in June 2021 when she was arrested by the police for allegedly stabbing Ataga to death in a short-let apartment in Lekki.
Now 28 years old, the once vibrant and social media-active young woman marks her birthdays in silence, away from the lights, the parties, and the cameras.
There are no lavish celebrations, no glamorous birthday shoots, no gifts, and no followers cheering her on Instagram, TikTok, or Snapchat.
Four years behind bars mean no new friendships, no academic progress, no career milestones, and certainly, no iPhone upgrades. If she were still living freely, she might have joined the wave of those flaunting the latest iPhone 17.
In court, Chidinma recently testified, recounting her version of the events and admitting that on the day of Ataga’s death, she had ordered loud smoke and Rephynol, a combination that would later feature prominently in the investigation narrative.
Her life, once filled with youthful excitement, has now been replaced by long days in detention, marked by regret, shame, and, as she puts it, “faith in God and the pain of ‘had I known.’”
The legal process has been slow, with adjournments and procedural delays keeping her in custody as the murder trial continues at the Lagos High Court.
For many Nigerians, Chidinma’s story serves as a chilling reminder that a single moment of poor judgment can destroy an entire future.
Whether she is ultimately convicted or acquitted, her life has been on “pause” since 2021, a pause that has cost her four irreplaceable years of youth, freedom, and dreams.
As society continues to debate the case, one message stands clear: crime never pays.
