Sh*ck In Abuja: 12 Arrested Over Brutal Murder Of Arise TV Anchor And Security Guard

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has announced the arrest of 12 suspected armed robbers allegedly responsible for the brutal attack and murder of Arise News anchor, Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu, and a security guard, Barnabas Danlami, at Unique Apartments, Gishiri Village, Katampe District, Abuja.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The tragic incident, which occurred around 3:30 a.m. on September 29, left the media community and local residents in shock and mourning.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Police Command revealed that the arrests were made following a directive from the FCT Commissioner of Police, who ordered a manhunt for those behind the deadly assault.

According to the statement, operatives from the Scorpion Squad, led by ACP Victor Godfrey, carried out the operation using “actionable digital and reconstructive intelligence” provided by Giga Forensics, a subsidiary of EIB STRATOC. The suspects were apprehended across various hideouts within the FCT and neighbouring states.

The arrested suspects were identified as:
Shamsudeen Hassan (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State); Hassan Isah, 22 (Zaria, Kaduna State); Abubakar Alkamu a.k.a. Abba, 27 (Musawa LGA, Katsina State); Sani Sirajo a.k.a. Dan Borume, 20 (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State); Mashkur Jamilu a.k.a. Abba, 28 (Igabi LGA, Kaduna State); Suleiman Badamasi a.k.a. Dan-Sule, 21 (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State); Abdul Salam Saleh a.k.a. Na-Durudu (Katsina LGA, Katsina State); Zaharadeen Muhammad a.k.a. Gwaska, 23 (Chikun LGA, Kaduna State); Musa Adamu a.k.a. Musa Hassan, 30 (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State); Sumayya Mohammed a.k.a. Baby, 27 (Sammaka LGA, Kaduna State); Isah Abdulrahman a.k.a. Abbati, 25 (Zaria LGA, Kaduna State); and Musa Umar a.k.a. Small, 31 (Maiduguri LGA, Borno State).

Police investigators disclosed that four of the suspects, including Hassan Isah and Abubakar Alkamu, were initially traced after using the victims’ stolen phones.

During interrogation, Hassan confessed to shooting the security guard, Danlami, when he resisted the gang’s attempt to gain entry into the building. Another suspect, Sirajo, admitted to struggling with Ms. Maduagwu during the chaos, claiming he tried to stop her from falling from the three-storey building but was “overwhelmed by her weight.”

The police further revealed that the suspects sold off some of the stolen valuables, with each member receiving about ₦200,000 as their share of the loot.

Recovered from the gang were:

• One fabricated AK-47 rifle

• 36 rounds of 9mm live ammunition

• A locally made pistol

• A pump-action gun

• Two live cartridges

• Four mobile phones belonging to the victims

• Two sharp knives, a cutlass, and nine torchlights used in the operation

The police added that on October 8, operatives intercepted more members of the gang, including Musa Umar and Hassan Isah, who were allegedly en route to carry out another robbery operation in Maitama, Abuja.

“All suspects have confessed to their crimes. Investigation is ongoing, and further updates will be communicated,” the statement read.

The Command, however, noted that photographs of the arrested suspects were deliberately withheld to avoid jeopardising efforts to track down other fleeing accomplices.

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