Justice Ibironke Harrison of the Lagos State High Court has continued hearing the murder trial involving two domestic staff accused of killing their employer, Aribim “Chuchu” Ajumogobia.
The defendants, Abigail Peter, 21, a housemaid, and Olusegun Olatunji, 35, the driver of the deceased, are standing trial for allegedly conspiring to murder Ajumogobia.
The deceased was the daughter of Federal High Court judge, Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia. Her father, Soboma Ajumogobia, is also the brother of former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Odein Ajumogobia.
During Thursday’s proceedings, the fourth prosecution witness, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Gafar Oderinde—the Investigating Police Officer—presented a video recording of the suspects taken shortly after their arrest.
The court watched the video evidence before the officer went on to outline the findings of the police investigation.
Oderinde told the court that the body of the deceased was discovered at the entrance gate of her parents’ residence located in Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos.
He further testified that the estate’s security guard, Umaru Mohammed, had been allegedly poisoned with an unknown substance that caused him to fall asleep, effectively preventing him from intervening during the incident. The security dog on the premises was also reportedly tied up, rendering it unable to raise an alarm.
According to the officer, several items were recovered from the suspects during the investigation, including laptops and human hair. These items have been secured in the police exhibit room.
He added that clothing stained with blood recovered from the scene had been sent for forensic analysis, including DNA testing.
Justice Harrison subsequently adjourned the case until March 12, when the defence is expected to begin the cross-examination of the fourth prosecution witness.
The prosecution alleges that the two defendants conspired to murder the 37-year-old victim by stabbing her with scissors. The crime was said to have occurred at about 11 p.m. on July 30, 2024.
The Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Babajide Martins, filed a two-count charge against the suspects on February 10, 2025.
They were formally arraigned in April 2025, where both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Earlier in the trial, the first prosecution witness, a forensic pathologist from the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Dr. Sunday Soyemi, presented the post-mortem report before the court.
The second prosecution witness, Awonaribo Ajumogobia, the 33-year-old brother of the deceased and the complainant in the case, testified that he received a phone call from one of the defendants, Olatunji, informing him that his sister had died at their parents’ residence.
He told the court that he immediately went to the scene, where he found his sister’s body outside the compound. The remains were later moved to Mainland General Hospital in Yaba for preservation and autopsy.
The third prosecution witness, Inspector Tope Ijatuyi of the Ikoyi Police Division, also testified on the preliminary investigation conducted on the day the incident occurred.
The trial is expected to continue with further testimonies and cross-examinations as the court seeks to determine the circumstances surrounding the tragic death.
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