Eleven suspects linked to the murder of Arise News journalist, Somtochukwu Maduagwu and security guard Barnabas Danlami were arraigned on Wednesday before a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) court.
The FCT Police Command confirmed that the suspects face a nine-count charge, including criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, and murder.
Maduagwu, a reporter, anchor, and producer with Arise News, and Danlami were killed during a robbery at Unique Apartments, Katampe Extension, Mabushi, Abuja, in the early hours of September 29, 2025, when armed men moved from flat to flat dispossessing residents.
The suspects are: Shamsu Hassan, Sani Sirajo, Hassan Isah, Abubakar Alkamu, Abdulsalam Saleh, Suleiman Badamasi, Zaharadeen Mohammed, Musa Umar (aka “Small”), Mashkur Jamil, Suleiman Sani, and Abubakar Usman.
Items recovered from the suspects include a fabricated AK-47 rifle, 36 rounds of live ammunition, a locally made pistol, a pump-action gun, knives, a cutlass, nine torchlights, and four mobile phones belonging to the victims. Investigations also revealed that the firearms were sourced from an arms dealer operating across the Nigeria–Niger border.
The suspects confessed to involvement in other armed robbery incidents within the FCT, including at Katampe 1, a hotel in Apo, and Zuba.
FCT Commissioner of Police, Ajao Adewale, described the killings as “cruel and senseless”, stressing that such violence “has no place in a sane society.” The matter has been adjourned to February 2026 for further proceedings.
Arise Television described Maduagwu as “delectable, intelligent, and bold,” highlighting her work advocating for out-of-school children and campaigning against sexual and gender-based violence. She joined Arise in September 2024 after representing Nigeria at the Miss Tourism World pageant in Quanzhou, China, in 2023.
The Police Command urged the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious persons or packages through emergency lines: 08032003913, 08028940883, or CRU FCT: 08107314192.