Controversy Surrounds Alleged Killing Of Super TV CEO , Usifo Ataga

Controversy is hovering over what led to the death of the Chief
Executive Officer of entertainment channel, Super TV, Mr Usifo
Ataga.

Online reports claimed that an alleged mistress stabbed him to
death with multiple wounds found in several parts of his body after
they lodged in a place in the Lekki area of Lagos. The sum of N5m
was said to have been withdrawn from his bank account and his
phones, debit cards and other valuables reportedly missing.

But some of his close friends who spoke with Sunday PUNCH, not
Nairalaw on Saturday debunked the claims, saying the
deceased was murdered and not a philanderer.

One of the deceased’s friends who spoke on condition of
anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on behalf of the
family said he had known Ataga for 25 years.

The close associate added that the deceased was on the verge of
“one of the greatest breakthroughs Nigeria has ever seen” through
his media establishment, Super TV, a mobile-enabled platform with
two major telecommunication multinationals on board to create
affordable subscription rates.

He added, “The circumstances under which he was murdered speak
of torture. He wasn’t given one blow or shot once and left alone.
There are multiple stab wounds on different parts of his body. It
appears that someone was trying to get information out of him, and
then the final (stab) in his neck was to take his life.

“Is it possible that someone wanted him out of the way? I’m not
saying that is what happened. But he was a family man whose life
was snuffed out needlessly. He came from a respectable family.
Wednesday was his birthday.

Another friend, Rotimi Albert, whose relationship with Ataga
began in 1982 at the Federal Government College, Warri, Delta
State, and continued into the University of Benin and beyond,
described him as a God-fearing, kind and loving man, who had a
positive effect on the lives of everybody he came in contact
with.

“The police are working diligently to solve this case and I am
confident the perpetrators will be brought to justice. Then all the
facts will be clear to everybody. I am hoping that they can stop
all the social media stories and let the police do their work,” he
said.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer,
Muyiwa Adejobi, said he was going to get back to our correspondents
but had yet to do so as of the time of this report.

However, a source told Sunday PUNCH that the facility manager of
the service apartment where the tragic incident took place had been
arrested, adding that efforts were on to arrest the fleeing
suspect.

The source said, “Investigation is ongoing in Lagos and Abuja,
we have the facility manager of the service apartment in our
custody and we are interrogating him. The service apartment does
not have enough security measures in place that would have
prevented such a thing. There was no CCTV camera, if there was a
CCTV camera, that would have assisted us in identifying the girl.
The management is assisting us and efforts are on to arrest the
girl.”

When contacted, the state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem
Odumosu, said efforts were on to arrest the fleeing suspect, adding
that the victim and the suspect had been lodging in the apartment
for now fewer than three days.

He stated that the victim met the suspect in the apartment,
adding on the day of the incident, the victim was scheduled to
travel to Abuja to celebrate his birthday with his family.

He added that the suspect in custody was a tenant who had been
using the flat for service apartment, adding that she had been
assisting the police investigation.

Controversy is hovering over what led to the death of the Chief
Executive Officer of entertainment channel, Super TV, Mr Usifo
Ataga.

Online reports claimed that an alleged mistress stabbed him to
death with multiple wounds found in several parts of his body after
they lodged in a place in the Lekki area of Lagos. The sum of N5m
was said to have been withdrawn from his bank account and his
phones, debit cards and other valuables reportedly missing.

But some of his close friends who spoke with Sunday PUNCH, not
Nairalaw on Saturday debunked the claims, saying the
deceased was murdered and not a philanderer.

One of the deceased’s friends who spoke on condition of
anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on behalf of the
family said he had known Ataga for 25 years.

The close associate added that the deceased was on the verge of
“one of the greatest breakthroughs Nigeria has ever seen” through
his media establishment, Super TV, a mobile-enabled platform with
two major telecommunication multinationals on board to create
affordable subscription rates.

He added, “The circumstances under which he was murdered speak
of torture. He wasn’t given one blow or shot once and left alone.
There are multiple stab wounds on different parts of his body. It
appears that someone was trying to get information out of him, and
then the final (stab) in his neck was to take his life.

“Is it possible that someone wanted him out of the way? I’m not
saying that is what happened. But he was a family man whose life
was snuffed out needlessly. He came from a respectable family.
Wednesday was his birthday.

Another friend, Rotimi Albert, whose relationship with Ataga
began in 1982 at the Federal Government College, Warri, Delta
State, and continued into the University of Benin and beyond,
described him as a God-fearing, kind and loving man, who had a
positive effect on the lives of everybody he came in contact
with.

“The police are working diligently to solve this case and I am
confident the perpetrators will be brought to justice. Then all the
facts will be clear to everybody. I am hoping that they can stop
all the social media stories and let the police do their work,” he
said.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer,
Muyiwa Adejobi, said he was going to get back to our correspondents
but had yet to do so as of the time of this report.

However, a source told Sunday PUNCH that the facility manager of
the service apartment where the tragic incident took place had been
arrested, adding that efforts were on to arrest the fleeing
suspect.

The source said, “Investigation is ongoing in Lagos and Abuja,
we have the facility manager of the service apartment in our
custody and we are interrogating him. The service apartment does
not have enough security measures in place that would have
prevented such a thing. There was no CCTV camera, if there was a
CCTV camera, that would have assisted us in identifying the girl.
The management is assisting us and efforts are on to arrest the
girl.”

When contacted, the state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem
Odumosu, said efforts were on to arrest the fleeing suspect, adding
that the victim and the suspect had been lodging in the apartment
for now fewer than three days.

He stated that the victim met the suspect in the apartment,
adding on the day of the incident, the victim was scheduled to
travel to Abuja to celebrate his birthday with his family.

He added that the suspect in custody was a tenant who had been
using the flat for service apartment, adding that she had been
assisting the police investigation.