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The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has announced a major breakthrough in the investigation of a deadly armed robbery that resulted in the death of Arise News staff member, Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu, and security guard Barnabas Danlami.
In an operational report dated October 9, 2025, police confirmed the arrest of twelve (12) suspects allegedly involved in the September 29th robbery at Unique Apartments in Gishiri village, Katampe District.
The arrests were made by operatives of the Scorpion Squad, led by ACP Victor Godfrey. According to the report, the police acted on “actionable digital and reconstructive intelligence” provided by Giga Forensics, a subsidiary of EIB STRATOC.
The suspects, predominantly from Katsina and Kaduna States, have been identified as:
1. Shamsudeen Hassan
2. Hassan Isah
3. Abubakar Alkamu
4. Sani Sirajo
5. Mashkur Jamilu
6. Suleiman Badamasi
7. Abdul Salam Saleh
8. Zaharadeen Muhammad
9. Musa Adamu
10. Sumayya Mohammed
11. Isah Abdulrahman
12. Musa Umar
The report detailed chilling confessions from the suspects. Shamsudeen Hassan allegedly confessed to shooting security guard Barnabas Danlami when he attempted to prevent the gang from entering the apartment.
In a tragic account, suspect Sani Sirajo confessed that he tried to prevent Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu from falling off the three-storey building but was “overwhelmed by her weight.” The Arise News anchor, reporter, and producer tragically died from injuries sustained in the fall.
The investigation progressed rapidly when four of the suspects—Shamsudeen Hassan, Abubakar Alkamu, Sani Sirajo, and another—were initially apprehended through the tracking of phones stolen from the apartment during the robbery.
According to the report, the four admitted to receiving ₦200,000 each from the proceeds of the crime. Shamsudeen further confessed to driving a stolen white Honda CR-V away from the scene.
A significant cache of weapons was recovered, including a fabricated AK-47 rifle, a locally made pistol, a pump-action gun, 36 rounds of 9mm live ammunition, two cartridges, two sharp knives, and a cutlass.
In a follow-up operation on October 8th, acting on a tip-off, the remaining members of the gang were intercepted by police while en route to a planned armed robbery operation in the upscale Maitama district.
The police report stated that all suspects have confessed to the crimes. Investigations are ongoing, and the suspects are expected to be charged in court.
