The family of late Super TV chief executive Usifo Ataga has appealed to the police to dig deeper into the death of the online television boss.
Mr Ataga died after being allegedly stabbed to death by Chidinma Ojukwu, a UNILAG student, who is already in police custody.
A conspiracy theory being circulated on social media and in blogs says Ms Ojukwu was contracted by her paternal uncle Izu to lure Mr Ataga to bed. The theory further states that Ataga’s wife Brenda and Izu are lovers and that Brenda needed evidence of infidelity to get a divorce from Ataga. The theory also says Izu threatened to withdraw his sponsorship of Ojukwu’s education at UNILAG if she reneged on the plan.
However, in a statement on Sunday on behalf of the Ataga family signed by Olusegun Jolaawo (SAN) of Rickey Tarfa & Co law firm, the solicitor urged those behind malicious social media publications to refrain from publishing falsehood that impinges negatively on the integrity of the deceased, his wife and children or face lawsuits.
“We know that the suspect (name withheld) has been arrested and we know that investigation is continuing,” the statement read.
“Our client is, however, convinced that there is much more to this than is already apparent from the Police investigation.
“It has become apparent that from the variety and inherent malice in most of the media publications, they are planted to embarrass and malign Usifo Ataga, Brenda Ataga and the family.”
The lawyer lamented that the tragic incident of the cold-blooded murder of late Ataga had inundated all strata of the media with inconceivable stories being peddled on all sorts of platforms about the incident and, therefore, called for restraints from the publishers of the unfounded stories.
“Our client hereby demand that the false publications and the several ordinarily unrelated stories and pictures of late Ataga and Brenda Ataga be pulled down with immediate effect.
“Failing, our client shall take prompt and appropriate action to seek redress for the apparent instances of libel and slander as appropriate,’’ he added.
