By Titilope Joseph 

The security guard at the service apartment where Usifo Ataga, Su­per TV Chief Executive Officer, was allegedly murdered, on Wednesday maintained his earlier testimony that the defendant (Chidinma Ojukwu) had left a night before victim’s body was found.

Abubakar Mohammed, the securi­ty guard, made the affirmation while being cross-examined before a Lagos High Court sitting at the Tafawa Bale­wa Square.

Recall that the witness had on Tuesday given evidence as the second prosecution’s witness, in the ongoing trial of Chidinma Ojukwua, a 300-lev­el Mass Communication student of the University of Lagos (first defen­dant), and two others over Ataga’s murder.

Ojukwu is standing trial along with her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, and one Adedapo Quadri.

At the resumed hearing, Tuesday the witness was cross-examined by the first and second defendants’ counsel.

During his cross-examination by the first defendant counsel, Mr. Onwu­ka Egwu, the witness maintained that the defendant (Chidinma) had left the apartment on Tuesday night and did not return to the premises even after the body was found.

Mohammed said that when the de­fendant was leaving, he was at his duty post, the defendant waived at him and entered an Uber.

The witness also denied that he mentioned to the police that he sus­pected one Mr. Babalola Disu, who also logged at the apartment at the time the incident happened.

Mohammed also told the court that he did not get the full view of the victim (Ataga) when he came into the premises because the victim was in­side his vehicle.

He also said the victim did not come out of his apartment from the time he entered.

The witness said it was only the defendant who used to come out or call him on phone when she needed any help.

Mohammed was also cross-exam­ined by the second defendant’s coun­sel, Mr. Babatunde Busari.

Busari asked the witness to con­firm if a dispatch rider actually came to the house and how many times the dispatch rider came.

The witness maintained that a dis­patch rider came once to the house, adding that the dispatch rider gave the first defendant a small parcel which he did not know the content.

The witness was, however, re-exam­ined by the prosecution counsel, Mr. Yusuf Sule.

The witness maintained that the defendant was the person who came and logged at the apartment.

Mohammed said he was able to identify the defendant at the police sta­tion during investigation “because she wears her face mask without covering her nose.