Proceedings in the murder trial of the alleged killers of Arise Television news anchor, Somtochukwu Maduagwu, and a security guard, Barnabas Danlami, were stalled on Monday after officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service failed to bring the suspects to court.
Gatekeepers News reports that the trial, which was scheduled to continue at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja, could not proceed because the eleven defendants were absent. The suspects are standing trial on a nine-count charge bordering on armed robbery and culpable homicide, to which they have all pleaded not guilty.
The defendants are Suleiman Badamosi, Zaradeen Mohammed, Musa Umar, Mashikur Jamil, Suleiman Sani, Abubakar Usman, Shamsu Hassan, Sani Surajo, Hassan Isah, Abubakar Alkamu, and Abdulsalam Saleh.
During the court session, the prosecution counsel, Adama Musa, informed the court that prison officers claimed they were not aware of the hearing date and therefore failed to produce the suspects. He expressed frustration over the development, noting that the prosecution team had brought four witnesses who were fully prepared to testify.
“On the part of the prosecution, we are in court with four witnesses who we went the extra mile to ensure are present; they abandoned their offices and are in court today,” Musa said.
Following the explanation, the trial judge, Mohammed Idris, adjourned the matter to Tuesday, February 10, and directed that the witnesses return to court on that day to continue the trial. He also stressed the need for proper coordination to avoid further delays.
The case is linked to a deadly robbery attack that occurred on September 29, when about 15 armed men stormed Unique Apartments, a four-storey, 16-flat residential building in the Katampe area of Abuja.
During the attack, Somtochukwu, popularly known as Sommie, reportedly jumped from the building while trying to escape and later died from her injuries. Barnabas Danlami, a security guard at the apartment complex, was shot dead by the attackers.
The incident sparked public outrage and renewed concerns about rising insecurity in Federal Capital Territory, with calls for swift justice for the victims and stronger measures to protect residents.
