Police Nab 12 Suspects in Connection with Killing of Arise TV Journalist Somto Maduagwu

• Arise TV journalist Rufai Oseni has shared new details on the murder of his late colleague, Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu, who was killed during a robbery in Abuja.
• Acting on the FCT Police Commissioner’s directive, operatives arrested 12 suspects linked to the attack.
• One suspect confessed to shooting the security guard, while another admitted failing to stop Maduagwu from falling off a building.
• Recovered items include guns, ammunition, and stolen phones. The police say all suspects confessed, and investigations are ongoing.

Arise Television journalist Rufai Oseni has shared an update on the investigation into the death of his late colleague, Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu, who died during a robbery attack in Abuja.

Oseni disclosed on Thursday that following the directive of the FCT Commissioner of Police, officers launched a manhunt to capture the gang responsible for the attack that killed Maduagwu and a security guard, Mr. Barnabas Danlami, at Unique Apartments, Gishiri Village, Katampe, on September 29, 2025.

According to the report, operatives of the Scorpion Squad, led by ACP Victor Godfrey and supported by Giga Forensics, arrested twelve suspects linked to the armed robbery.

“During interrogation, Shamsudeen Hassan confessed to shooting the security guard after he tried to stop them, while Sani Sirajo admitted he attempted to restrain Ms. Maduagwu from falling off the building but couldn’t hold her due to her weight,” the report stated.

Recovered items include one fabricated AK-47 rifle, 36 rounds of live ammunition, one pump-action gun, two knives, and four mobile phones belonging to the victims.

The police confirmed that the suspects had planned another robbery in Maitama before being intercepted, adding that “all suspects have confessed to their involvement in the crimes” and that investigations are ongoing.

The arrested suspects were identified as:

1. Shamsudeen Hassan, from Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State
2. Hassan Isah, 22, from Zaria, Kaduna State
3. Abubakar Alkamu (a.k.a. Abba), 27, from Musawa LGA, Katsina State
4. Sani Sirajo (a.k.a. Dan Borume), 20, from Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State
5. Mashkur Jamilu (a.k.a. Abba), 28, from Igabi LGA, Kaduna State
6. Suleiman Badamasi (a.k.a. Dan-Sule), 21, from Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State
7. Abdul Salam Saleh (a.k.a. Na-Durudu), from Katsina LGA, Katsina State
8. Zaharadeen Muhammad (a.k.a. Gwaska), 23, from Chikun LGA, Kaduna State
9. Musa Adamu (a.k.a. Musa Hassan), 30, from Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State
10. Sumayya Mohammed (a.k.a. Baby), 27, from Sammaka LGA, Kaduna State
11. Isah Abdulrahman (a.k.a. Abbati), 25, from Zaria LGA, Kaduna State
12. Musa Umar (a.k.a. Small), 31, from Maiduguri LGA, Borno State.