THE Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested 12 suspects in connection with the killing of Arise News anchor and producer, Somtochukwu Christelle Maduagwu, and a security guard, Barnabas Danlami, during a robbery attack in Abuja.
According to Arise TV, in a post on its website on Thursday, October 9, the suspects were apprehended following a coordinated operation by the Scorpion Squad, led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Victor Godfrey. The arrests were based on digital and reconstructive intelligence provided by Giga Forensics, a subsidiary of EIB Stratoc.
Maduagwu, 29, was killed in the early hours of September 29, 2025, during a robbery at her residence in the Gishiri area of Katampe District. She was found unconscious after reportedly jumping from the third floor of her apartment in an attempt to escape the armed men. Police officers responding to a distress call rushed her to the Maitama General Hospital, where she was confirmed dead.
Arise TV, in the post, said four suspects — Shamsudeen Hassan, Abubakar Alkamu, Sani Sirajo, and one other — were first apprehended through the tracking of phones stolen from the apartment. Eight other suspects were later arrested while allegedly planning another robbery in Maitama.
Those arrested include Hassan Isah, Abubakar Alkamu (alias Abba), Sani Sirajo (alias Dan Borume), Mashkur Jamilu, Suleiman Badamasi (alias Dan-Sule), Abdul Salam Saleh, Zaharadeen Muhammad, Musa Adamu, Sumayya Mohammed, Isah Abdulrahman, and Musa Umar.
During interrogation, Hassan confessed to shooting the security guard while trying to gain access to the building. Sirajo claimed he attempted to hold Maduagwu as she fell but could not. The suspects also confessed to sharing ₦200,000 each from the proceeds of the robbery.
Items recovered from them included a fabricated AK-47 rifle, 36 rounds of live ammunition, a pump-action gun, a locally made pistol, two cartridges, four mobile phones belonging to the victims, knives, a cutlass, and nine torchlights.
The report said investigations are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the gang. Commissioner Adewale commended the operatives for their swift action and assured residents that the command would sustain its operations against violent crime in the territory.
An effort to get confirmation of the details from the FCT Police Command was unsuccessful as WhatsApp messages sent to its spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, were not responded to.
Arise News, in an earlier statement, described Maduagwu as “a vibrant voice that engaged and connected with our viewers,” adding that her death was “a devastating loss to the media community.”
Her killing sparked outrage and renewed fears about worsening insecurity in the nation’s capital.
Security analysts who spoke with The ICIR said Maduagwu’s death underscores the need for stronger intelligence-led policing and community collaboration to tackle the growing wave of violent crimes in the Federal Capital Territory.
In a report published by The ICIR, residents of Abuja’s suburbs such as Katampe and Mpape complained of recurring armed robberies, kidnappings, and “one-chance” attacks despite official claims of improved security.
The report documented multiple incidents, including the murders of Freda Arnong and Greatness Olorunfemi in similar attacks on commuters.
A reporter with the ICIR
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