The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has broken the back of a notorious robbery syndicate believed to be behind the brutal murder of Arise News journalist, Ms. Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu, and a security guard, Mr. Barnabas Danlami. The breakthrough came after weeks of intelligence-driven operations that spanned three states.
Ms. Maduagwu, a lawyer and television anchor, was killed during a robbery attack at Unique Apartments in Katampe Extension, Mabushi, Abuja, on September 29, 2025. The same attack claimed the life of Mr. Danlami, the security guard on duty that night, sending shockwaves through Nigeria’s media and security circles.
Determined to bring the culprits to justice, the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Ajao S. Adewale, swiftly constituted a Special Investigation Team. The task force was led by Deputy Commissioner of Police, State CID, DCP Aliyu Abubakar, with support from the Commander of the Scorpion Squad, ACP Victor Godfrey. Their mission was clear — hunt down the killers and dismantle their network.
The team relied on what police sources described as “digital reconstructive intelligence,” a combination of surveillance technology, forensic data, and human intelligence. The operation stretched across the FCT, Nasarawa, and Kaduna States, culminating in the arrest of twelve suspects.
Among the items recovered were an assortment of weapons, including a locally fabricated AK-47 rifle, a pump-action gun, a locally made pistol, and 36 rounds of live ammunition. Police also seized two knives, a cutlass, two live cartridges, four mobile phones, and a heavy flashlight believed to have been used during the robbery.
The arrested suspects were identified as: Shamsudeen Hassan, Hassan Isah (22), Abubakar Alkamu (27), Sani Sirajo (20), Mashkur Jamilu (28), Suleiman Badamasi (21), Abdulsalam Saleh, Zaharadeen Muhammad (23), Musa Adamu (30), Sumayya Mohammed (27), Isah Abdulrahman (25), and Musa Umar (31).
All twelve suspects, according to police findings, hail from Kaduna and Katsina States. Two of them reportedly played specialized roles within the gang — Sirajo served as the gang’s driver, while Badamasi supplied vehicles for their operations.
Investigations revealed that the gang sourced their weapons from a yet-to-be-identified arms dealer based in Niger Republic. Their network, police said, operated like a franchise of terror, executing multiple high-risk robberies across Abuja’s suburbs.
The suspects have confessed to carrying out other violent robberies in Katampe 1, a hotel in Apo, and another in Zuba, all within the FCT. Their crime spree, according to investigators, had gone undetected until the Katampe murder sparked a full-scale manhunt.
It was further confirmed that the fatal shot that ended the life of the security guard, Mr. Danlami, was fired by one of the suspects, Shamsudeen Hassan. Police say his confession was corroborated by ballistic evidence recovered from the scene.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ajao Adewale, described the arrests as a significant victory in the Command’s fight against organized crime. He expressed deep condolences to the families of Ms. Maduagwu and Mr. Danlami, assuring them that justice would be pursued to its logical conclusion.
“This tragedy touched the heart of our entire Command. We have worked tirelessly to ensure that those responsible are brought before the law,” the CP said, commending his officers for their professionalism and resilience.
He emphasized that the Command remained fully committed to the safety and security of all FCT residents, warning criminal elements that “Abuja will not be a safe haven for lawbreakers.”
Adewale also urged the public to remain alert and to report any suspicious activities through the Command’s emergency hotlines — 08032003913, 08028940883, and the CRU FCT line 08107314192.
The arrest of the gang has brought a measure of relief to residents of the FCT, even as tributes continue to pour in for Ms. Maduagwu — remembered by colleagues as a bright, fearless journalist whose voice echoed for truth until her final day.
