The Nigeria Police Force has apprehended twelve suspects in connection with the armed robbery that resulted in the death of Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu, a news anchor and producer with Arise Television.
Gatekeepers News reports that according to the police, the suspects have confessed to participating in the incident that occurred on September 29 at Unique Apartments, a four-storey, 16-flat building in the Katampe area of Abuja.
The robbery, which involved about fifteen armed men, claimed the lives of Somtochukwu, popularly known as Sommi, and the building’s security guard, Barnabas Danlami.
Police investigations revealed that the guard was shot during the attack, while Somtochukwu reportedly fell from the building in a desperate attempt to escape.
In a statement on Thursday, police authorities said the suspects were tracked through mobile phones stolen from the crime scene.
The operation, led by ACP Victor Godfrey of the Scorpion Squad, was made possible through digital and reconstructive intelligence provided by Giga Forensics, a subsidiary of EIB STRATOC.
One of the suspects, Shamsudeen Hassan, confessed to shooting the security guard when he tried to prevent their entry, while Sani Sirajo claimed he attempted to stop Somtochukwu from falling but was overwhelmed by her weight. Hassan also admitted to driving away a white Honda CR-V taken from the apartment after the operation.
The arrested suspects identified as Shamsudeen Hassan, Hassan Isah, Abubakar Alkamu (a.k.a. Abba), Sani Sirajo (a.k.a. Dan Borume), Mashkur Jamilu (a.k.a. Abba), Suleiman Badamasi (a.k.a. Dan-Sule), Abdul Salam Saleh (a.k.a. Na-Durudu), Zaharadeen Muhammad (a.k.a. Gwaska), Musa Adamu (a.k.a. Musa Hassan), Sumayya Mohammed (a.k.a. Baby), Isah Abdulrahman (a.k.a. Abbati), and Musa Umar (a.k.a. Small) were reportedly from Katsina, Kaduna, and Borno States.
Police said the suspects each received ₦200,000 as their share of the loot. Items recovered from them include a fabricated AK-47 rifle, 36 rounds of live ammunition, a locally made pistol, a pump-action gun, two live cartridges, four mobile phones belonging to the victims, two knives, a cutlass, and nine torchlights used during the operation.
Authorities assured that further investigations are ongoing and that all those involved in the brutal attack leading to Somtochukwu’s death will be brought to justice.
