The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command announced on Thursday the arrest of suspects suspected to be responsible for the killing of Arise News Television journalist, Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu, in Abuja.
The police also arrested 12 other notorious armed robbers believed to have carried out a robbery incident at Unique Apartment, Gishiri Village, Katampe District, Abuja, where a security guard was killed.
The arrests followed a directive by President Bola Tinubu to security agencies to apprehend the killers. The suspects were arrested by operatives of the Scorpion Squad led by ACP Victor O. Godfrey through actionable digital and reconstructive intelligence following a directive by the FCT Commissioner of Police to identify and apprehend the culprits.
According to police reports, the robbery occurred on September 29, 2025, at about 3:30 a.m., during which the victims were murdered. The arrested suspects include:
- Shamsudeen Hassan, from Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State
- Hassan Isah, 22, from Zaria, Kaduna State
- Abubakar Alkamu (a.k.a. Abba), 27, from Musawa LGA, Katsina State
- Sani Sirajo (a.k.a. Dan Borume), 20, from Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State
- Mashkur Jamili (a.k.a. Abba), 28, from Igabi LGA, Kaduna State
- Suleiman Badamasi (a.k.a. Dan-Sule), 21, from Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State
- Abdulsalam Saleh (a.k.a. Na-Durudu), from Katsina LGA, Katsina State
- Zaharadeen Muhammad (a.k.a. Gwaska), 23, from Chikun LGA, Kaduna State
- Musa Adamu (a.k.a. Musa Hassan), 30, from Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State
- Sumayya Mohammed (a.k.a. Baby), 27, from Sammaka LGA, Kaduna State
- Isah Abdulrahman (a.k.a. Abbati), 25, from Zaria LGA, Kaduna State
- Musa Umar (a.k.a. Small), 31, from Maiduguri LGA, Borno State
Four suspects – Shamsudeen, Hassan, Alkamu, and Sirajo – were initially apprehended and confessed to their involvement. Shamsudeen admitted to shooting security guard Barnabas Danlami when he tried to stop them, while Sirajo confessed that he tried to hold Maduagwu as she fell from the third floor. Shamsudeen also confessed to driving away the victim’s white Honda CR-V after the operation. The suspects revealed they each received ₦200,000 from the crime proceeds.
Recovered exhibits include one fabricated AK-47 rifle, 36 rounds of 9mm live ammunition, one locally-made pistol, one pump-action gun, two live cartridges, four mobile phones, two sharp knives, one cutlass, and nine torchlights used during the operation.
Further arrests were made on October 8 when operatives intercepted Musa Umar and Hassan Isah while planning another armed robbery operation in Maitama. All suspects are in custody and have confessed to the crimes.
The FCT Commissioner of Police commended the Scorpion Squad for their swift action and assured residents that the command would sustain aggressive operations to rid the FCT of violent criminals.
