FCT Police Arrest 12 Over Arise TV Anchor’s Murder

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has arrested 12 suspected armed robbers in connection with the violent attack that claimed the lives of Arise News anchor, Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu, and a security guard, Barnabas Danlami, at Unique Apartments, Gishiri Village, Katampe District, Abuja.

The incident, which occurred around 3:30 a.m. on September 29, sent shockwaves through the media community and left residents of the FCT in mourning.

In a statement on Wednesday, the FCT Police Command said the arrests followed a directive from the Commissioner of Police, ordering a coordinated operation to track down the assailants.

Operatives of the Scorpion Squad, led by ACP Victor Godfrey, acting on what the command described as “actionable digital and reconstructive intelligence” provided by Giga Forensics, a subsidiary of EIB STRATOC, raided several hideouts across the FCT and neighbouring states.

“The suspects were apprehended following painstaking intelligence work and sustained surveillance,” the statement read.

The suspects were identified as Shamsudeen Hassan (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State); Hassan Isah, 22 (Zaria, Kaduna State); Abubakar Alkamu, a.k.a. Abba, 27 (Musawa LGA, Katsina State); Sani Sirajo, a.k.a. Dan Borume, 20 (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State); Mashkur Jamilu, a.k.a. Abba, 28 (Igabi LGA, Kaduna State); Suleiman Badamasi, a.k.a. Dan-Sule, 21 (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State); Abdul Salam Saleh, a.k.a. Na-Durudu (Katsina LGA, Katsina State); Zaharadeen Muhammad, a.k.a. Gwaska, 23 (Chikun LGA, Kaduna State); Musa Adamu, a.k.a. Musa Hassan, 30 (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State); Sumayya Mohammed, a.k.a. Baby, 27 (Sammaka LGA, Kaduna State); Isah Abdulrahman, a.k.a. Abbati, 25 (Zaria LGA, Kaduna State); and Musa Umar, a.k.a. Small, 31 (Maiduguri LGA, Borno State).

According to investigators, four suspects, including Hassan Isah and Abubakar Alkamu, were the first to be tracked down after using the victims’ stolen mobile phones.

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During interrogation, Hassan reportedly confessed to shooting the security guard, Danlami, after he tried to resist the gang’s entry into the apartment complex.

Another suspect, Sani Sirajo, told investigators he had struggled with Ms Maduagwu during the robbery, claiming he attempted to stop her from falling off the three-storey building but was “overwhelmed by her weight.”

Police sources said the gang sold some of the stolen items, with each member receiving about ₦200,000 as their share from the proceeds.

Items recovered from the suspects include 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, a cutlass, and nine torchlights reportedly used during the operation.

The command added that operatives also intercepted some of the gang members, including Musa Umar and Hassan Isah, on October 8, while they were allegedly on their way to carry out another robbery operation in Maitama, Abuja.

“All suspects have confessed to the crimes. Investigation is ongoing, and further developments will be communicated,” the statement read.

The FCT Police Command said it would not release photographs of the suspects at this stage to avoid compromising efforts to arrest other fleeing accomplices.

Meanwhile, the tragic killing of Ms Maduagwu, a respected broadcast journalist, has sparked renewed calls for improved security in the Federal Capital Territory, especially around residential areas frequented by professionals and expatriates.