Eleven suspects linked to the murder of Arise News journalist Somtochukwu Maduagwu and a security guard, Barnabas Danlami, were arraigned on Wednesday before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) court.
The FCT Police Command confirmed the arraignment in a statement, saying the suspects face a nine-count charge that includes criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, and murder.
Maduagwu, a reporter, anchor, and producer with Arise News, and Danlami were killed during a robbery at Unique Apartments, Katampe Extension, Mabushi, Abuja, on September 29, 2025.
The suspects include Shamsu Hassan, Sani Sirajo, Hassan Isah, Abubakar Alkamu, Abdulsalam Saleh, Suleiman Badamasi, Zaharadeen Mohammed, Musa Umar (aka “Small”), Mashkur Jamil, Suleiman Sani, and Abubakar Usman.
According to the police, armed robbers stormed the three-storey apartment complex around 3:30 a.m., moving from flat to flat and dispossessing residents of their belongings. Maduagwu, 29, was found unconscious and rushed to Maitama General Hospital, where efforts to resuscitate her failed.
FCT Commissioner of Police, Ajao Adewale, described the attack as “cruel and senseless,” adding that such violence “has no place in a sane society.”
Preliminary investigations revealed that the syndicate procured firearms from an arms dealer operating across the Nigeria–Niger border. Items recovered from the suspects include a fabricated AK-47 rifle, 36 rounds of live ammunition, a locally made pistol, a pump-action gun, two cartridges, knives, a cutlass, nine torchlights, and four mobile phones belonging to the victims.
The suspects also admitted to other armed robbery incidents in Katampe 1, Apo, and Zuba within the FCT.
Arise Television described Maduagwu as “delectable, intelligent, and bold.” The journalist joined Arise in September 2024, after representing Nigeria at the Miss Tourism World pageant in Quanzhou, China, in 2023. She used her legal training and reporting skills to advocate for out-of-school children and campaign against sexual and gender-based violence.
The case has been adjourned to February 2026 for further proceedings.
The FCT Police Command urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious persons or packages through the following emergency lines: 08032003913, 08028940883, or CRU FCT: 08107314192.
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