Police arrest 12 suspects over Arise TV anchor’s death

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has arrested 12 suspected armed robbers linked to the killing of an Arise News staff member, Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu, and a security guard, Barnabas Danlami, during a robbery attack in Abuja.

‎Arise TV, in a post on its website on Thursday, said the arrests followed an operation led by the Scorpion Squad under the FCT Command, based on intelligence provided by a forensics firm, Giga Forensics, a subsidiary of EIB STRATOC.

‎According to Arise, the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, ordered a manhunt for the suspects after the September 29, 2025, attack at Unique Apartment in Gishiri Village, Katampe District, which occurred around 3:30 a.m.

‎The statement said operatives of the Scorpion Squad, led by ACP Victor Godfrey, arrested the suspects following actionable digital and reconstructive intelligence provided by Giga Forensics, a subsidiary of EIB STRATOC.

According to the report, 12 suspects were arrested in connection with the incident.

They include Shamsudeen Hassan, Hassan Isah, Abubakar Alkamu (also known as Abba), Sani Sirajo (also known as Dan Borume), Mashkur Jamilu, Suleiman Badamasi (also known as Dan-Sule), Abdul Salam Saleh, Zaharadeen Muhammad, Musa Adamu, Sumayya Mohammed, Isah Abdulrahman, and Musa Umar.

The statement partly read, “It is important to note that shortly after the robbery incident that took place 29/09/2025 at about 0330hrs at unique apartment, Katampe district, Mabushi, which tragically led to the deaths of Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu and Barnabas Danlami, four (4) of the suspects, Shamsudeen Hassan, Alkamu, Sirajo and one other person were apprehended through the tracking of phones stollen from the apartment during the robbery (Tracking and intercept service provided by us).”

During interrogation, Hassan confessed to shooting the security guard while attempting to gain entry, while Sirajo claimed he tried to stop Maduagwu from falling off the building during the attack.

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, four mobile phones belonging to the victims, knives, a cutlass, and nine torchlights.

The police added that the remaining gang members were intercepted on Wednesday while allegedly heading for another planned robbery in Maitama, Abuja.

The suspects, according to the report, confessed to the crime, while the investigation continues.

Maduagwu, an anchor and producer with Arise News, died during a robbery at her residence in the Gishiri area of Katampe District, Abuja, in the early hours of September 29, 2025.

The assailants reportedly invaded the apartment, attacked occupants, and also killed the estate’s security guard, Barnabas Danlami.

According to police reports, Maduagwu fell from the third floor of her building while attempting to escape the intruders, contrary to initial claims that she was shot.

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