The FCT Police Command assured the public that full justice will be pursued for the slain journalist and security guard.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has announced the arrest of 12 suspects in connection with the armed robbery that claimed the lives of 29-year-old Somtochukwu Christelle Maduagwu, a presenter and producer with ARISE News, and a security guard, Mr. Barnabas Danlami, at Unique Apartment, Gishiri Village, Katampe District, Abuja.
Maduagwu, known as “Sommie” by colleagues, died on September 29, 2025, after armed robbers, reportedly numbering about 14, invaded the six-flat residential complex where she lived around 3:30 a.m.
Initial reports suggested that Maduagwu was directly attacked, but later reports clarified that the robbers moved from one apartment to another, dispossessing residents of their belongings.
Terrified by the commotion from adjoining flats, Maduagwu attempted to escape and jumped from her apartment window, sustaining severe injuries.
Following directives from the FCT Commissioner of Police, a special operation led by ACP Victor Godfrey and the Scorpion Squad, leveraging actionable digital and reconstructive intelligence from Giga Forensics, a subsidiary of EIB STRATOC, led to the arrest of 12 suspects linked to the robbery, the police confirmed in a statement issued on Thursday.
The arrested suspects were identified as Shamsudeen Hassan from Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State, 22-year-old Hassan Isah from Zaria, Kaduna State, 27-year-old Abubakar Alkamu (a.k.a. Abba) from Musawa Local Government Area of Katsina State, and 20-year-old Sani Sirajo (a.k.a. Dan Borume) from Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State.
Others are 28-year-old Mashkur Jamilu (a.k.a. Abba) from Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, 21-year-old Suleiman Badamasi (a.k.a. Dan-Sule) from Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State, Abdul Salam Saleh (a.k.a. Na-Durudu) from Katsina Local Government Area of Katsina State, and 23-year-old Zaharadeen Muhammad (a.k.a. Gwaska) from Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Also arrested were 30-year-old Musa Adamu (a.k.a. Musa Hassan) from Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State, 27-year-old Sumayya Mohammed (a.k.a. Baby) from Saminaka Local Government Area of Kaduna State, 25-year-old Isah Abdulrahman (a.k.a. Abbati) from Zaria Local Government Area of Kaduna State, and 31-year-old Musa Umar (a.k.a. Small) from Maiduguri Local Government Area of Borno State.
Police further revealed that shortly after the robbery, four suspects, Shamsudeen Hassan, Abubakar Alkamu, Sani Sirajo, and another accomplice, were arrested after tracking stolen phones from the victims, a service facilitated by Giga Forensics.
During interrogation, Shamsudeen Hassan confessed to shooting Mr. Danlami, the security guard, after he tried to stop the robbers from gaining access to the apartment.
Sani Sirajo confessed that he attempted to restrain Ms. Maduagwu from falling off the three-storey building during the struggle but was overpowered by her weight.
Hassan also admitted to driving the victims’ white Honda CR-V away from the scene after the operation.
The four suspects disclosed that they each received N200,000 as their share of the robbery proceeds.
According to the police, items recovered from the suspects were one fabricated AK-47 rifle, 36 rounds of 9mm live ammunition, one locally made pistol, one pump-action gun, two live cartridges, four mobile phones belonging to the victims, two sharp knives, one cutlass, and nine torchlights used during the operation.
The statement added that in a follow-up operation on October 8, 2025, the police, again acting on digital intelligence, intercepted and arrested the remaining members of the gang, including Musa Umar (a.k.a. Small) and Hassan Isah, while they were reportedly en route to carry out another armed robbery in Maitama.
The police said that all 12 suspects arrested have confessed to their involvement in the Gishiri robbery and other related crimes.
Police said investigations are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the gang and recover additional weapons used in their operations.
Police confirmed that visual evidence, including a video of the recovery of one of the AK-47 rifles at Zuma Rock, has been secured as part of the ongoing investigation.
The FCT Police Command assured the public that full justice will be pursued for the slain journalist and security guard.
The Commissioner of Police commended the Scorpion Squad and the intelligence partners for what he described as an exemplary display of professionalism and technological precision.
The tragic deaths of Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu, who was a promising young media professional at Arise News, and Mr. Barnabas Danlami, whose bravery cost him his life, sparked widespread grief and calls for greater security across Abuja’s suburbs.