Key Points

• Police arrest 12 suspects in Somtochukwu’s death.

• Digital intelligence helped track the gang’s movements.

• Firearms and stolen items recovered after intense manhunt.

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has arrested 12 suspected armed robbers in connection with the killing of Arise News staff member, Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu, and a security guard, Barnabas Danlami, during an attack at Unique Apartments, Gishiri Village, Katampe District, Abuja.

Police said the arrests followed a joint operation by the Scorpion Squad, led by ACP Victor Godfrey, acting on actionable digital and reconstructive intelligence from Giga Forensics, a subsidiary of EIB Stratoc.

The tragic incident occurred on September 29, 2025, around 3:30 a.m., when the gang stormed the residential apartment.

Suspects confess after police track stolen phones

Those arrested include Shamsudeen Hassan (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State), Hassan Isah, 22 (Zaria, Kaduna State), Abubakar Alkamu, 27 (Musawa LGA, Katsina State), Sani Sirajo, 20 (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State), Mashkur Jamilu, 28 (Igabi LGA, Kaduna State), and Suleiman Badamasi, 21 (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State).

Others are Abdul Salam Saleh, Zaharadeen Muhammad, 23 (Chikun LGA, Kaduna State), Musa Adamu, 30 (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State), Sumayya Mohammed, 27 (Saminaka LGA, Kaduna State), Isah Abdulrahman, 25 (Zaria LGA, Kaduna State), and Musa Umar, 31 (Maiduguri LGA, Borno State).

During interrogation, Hassan confessed to shooting the security guard, Danlami, after he tried to resist their entry.

Another suspect, Sirajo, claimed he attempted to stop Maduagwu from falling off the three-storey building but failed, saying, “I tried to stop her from jumping, but she was too heavy.”

Hassan also admitted to driving away Maduagwu’s white Honda CR-V, which was stolen during the operation. The suspects reportedly shared ₦200,000 each from the robbery proceeds.

Weapons, phones recovered as police vow more arrests

Police recovered a cache of weapons, including one fabricated AK-47 rifle, 36 rounds of ammunition, a pump-action gun, a locally made pistol, two live cartridges, four mobile phones, knives, a cutlass, and nine torchlights.

Investigators said four of the suspects, including Hassan, Alkamu, and Sirajo, were first apprehended after police traced the victims’ stolen phones.

Further intelligence led to the capture of the remaining gang members on October 8, 2025, as they prepared for another robbery in Maitama, Abuja.

All 12 suspects have confessed to their roles in the attack, according to police. Efforts are underway to arrest the remaining gang members still at large.

The FCT Commissioner of Police commended the swift coordination between forensic experts and tactical units, assuring the public that all those involved in the killing of Somtochukwu will face justice.