Alleged Murder: We’ll follow due process in suspending student – UNILAG Vice-chancellor

The management of the University of Lagos will “have to follow due process” to suspend Chidinma Ojukwu, the student who is the key suspect in the killing of Super TV boss Michael Ataga, Vice-chancellor Oluwatosin Ogundipe has said.

Speaking during the 51st pre-convocation press conference in Lagos Wednesday, Mr Ogundipe confirmed that Ms Ojukwu, 21, is a part-time Mass Communication student of the university and hails from Abia State.

He also disclosed the student’s matriculation number.

It was the university’s first official statement on the incident.

Mr Ogundipe, a professor of Botany, however, said the matter is now “a national issue and we cannot discuss about it.”

Backstory

Ms Ojukwu had confessed to fatally stabbing Mr Ataga, 50, after police arrested her on June 23 at her residence in Lagos.

While being paraded by the police in Ikeja, the suspect said she began a romantic relationship with Mr Ataga four months ago.

“During search, the prime suspect was caught with a blood-soaked cloth, ostensibly worn on the day of the incident,” the police statement read.

“The suspect confessed to have stabbed the deceased with a kitchen knife after a struggle. She further confessed to have taken the knife away while leaving the scene and disposed same in a dust bin at her residence.

Last weekend, Mr Ataga’s family urged the police to dig further than Ms Ojukwu’s confession to unearth the mastermind of the murder.