Police Nab 12 Suspects Over Killing of Arise TV Anchor in Abuja Robbery
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested twelve suspected armed robbers in connection with the killing of an Arise News anchor, Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu, and a security guard, Barnabas Danlami, during a robbery attack at Gishiri Village in the Katampe District of Abuja.
The arrest, according to Arise News, followed a coordinated operation by the Scorpion Squad under the FCT Command, leveraging actionable digital intelligence provided by Giga Forensics, a subsidiary of EIB STRATOC.
Confirming the development, the FCT Commissioner of Police ordered an intensive manhunt immediately after the September 29, 2025, incident, which occurred around 3:30 a.m. at the Unique Apartment in Katampe District. The operation led to the arrest of twelve suspects believed to have participated in the fatal attack.
Those arrested include Shamsudeen Hassan, Hassan Isah, Abubakar Alkamu (aka Abba), Sani Sirajo (aka Dan Borume), Mashkur Jamilu, Suleiman Badamasi (aka Dan-Sule), Abdul Salam Saleh, Zaharadeen Muhammad, Musa Adamu, Sumayya Mohammed, Isah Abdulrahman, and Musa Umar.
Read Also:
A statement obtained by Arise News revealed that four of the suspects — Hassan, Alkamu, Sirajo, and one other — were initially tracked and apprehended using mobile phones stolen from the apartment during the robbery. The operation, described as intelligence-led, was facilitated by real-time tracking and intercept services provided by Giga Forensics.
During interrogation, Hassan confessed to shooting the security guard, Danlami, while attempting to gain entry into the building. Another suspect, Sirajo, claimed he tried to stop Maduagwu from falling off the third-floor balcony during the chaos that followed the invasion.
Recovered items 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 used during the operation.
Police sources disclosed that the remaining members of the gang were intercepted on Wednesday while en route to another planned robbery in the Maitama area of Abuja. The suspects have reportedly confessed to their involvement in the Katampe attack and other similar robberies across the FCT.
Maduagwu, who worked as an anchor and producer with Arise News, tragically lost her life while attempting to escape the intruders during the attack. Initial reports had suggested she was shot, but subsequent investigations confirmed she fell from the third floor of her residence during the incident.
The FCT Police Command has assured the public that investigations are ongoing and that all suspects connected to the murder will be prosecuted.
By PRNigeria
