A Lagos State High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) annex has ordered the prosecution to make several digital exhibits available to the defence team of Chidinma Ojukwu as she begins to give evidence in the trial over the alleged murder of Super TV Chief Executive Officer Michael Usifo Ataga. The ruling was made on 20 October 2025 by Justice Yetunde Adesanya following an application by the first defendant’s counsel.
What the court ordered
Justice Adesanya directed that items of evidential value earlier included in the prosecution’s bundle, but subsequently released on bond to the nominal complainant by the police, be produced and made available to the defence for inspection and forensic examination where appropriate.
The judge emphasised the constitutional right of an accused person to access exhibits that are relevant to their defence.
Exhibits listed by the defence
In the April 2025 application heard this week, the defence identified a list of devices and SIM cards it said were part of the prosecution’s exhibits but were in the possession of the nominal complainant.
Items listed in court filings and reported in open sources included (among others):
For the first defendant (Chidinma Ojukwu): a black iPhone 11 Pro, a gold iPhone XS, an iPhone 7 Plus, a silver MacBook Pro (2019), an HP laptop and two 9Mobile SIM cards.
For the deceased (Michael Ataga): an iPhone 8, an iPhone 12 Pro Max, and a MacBook Pro 13.
Following the ruling, the prosecution delivered three items, an iPhone 7, an iPhone 11 and a MacBook laptop — to the court for release to the defence team while arrangements continue for the production of any remaining exhibits.
Legal context and recent procedural history
The case dates back to 2021 when Ataga’s body was discovered in a Lekki short-let apartment. The prosecution had called its witnesses and closed its case; the matter moved into the defence stage this month.
The defence had earlier raised issues with aspects of the prosecution’s evidence and argued that forensic examination of the seized devices is necessary to prepare an adequate defence.
The application for access to exhibits was filed in April 2025 (reported dates in media coverage specify late April), and the court’s October 2025 ruling came after submissions by the defence that the items were essential to establishing the state of evidence alleged by the prosecution.
Parties and next steps
Chidinma Ojukwu is the first defendant. She is being tried alongside Adedapo (Adedayo) Quadri (second defendant) and Chioma Egbuchu / Egbuna (third defendant), who has faced related charges over alleged receipt of property said to belong to the deceased.
All defendants have pleaded not guilty. The court has listed several dates for continuation of trial and for the defence stage to proceed.
Broader significance
Legal analysts told reporters that the ruling reinforces the principle that accused persons must be allowed meaningful access to exhibits necessary for the preparation of their defence, particularly in cases involving digital devices, which often contain information (call logs, messages, metadata, location data) that may be material to issues of timeline, intent and opportunity.
The development also highlights practical challenges in Nigerian criminal litigation: custody and control of physical and digital exhibits, procedures for forensic analysis, and ensuring evidentiary continuity when items are released on bond.
