The FCT Police Command has arrested 12 suspects linked to the murders of Arise News employee Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu and security guard Barnabas Danlami during a robbery attack in Abuja.
According to Arise TV’s report on Thursday, the FCT Police arrest 12 suspects followed an operation by the Scorpion Squad, guided by intelligence from Giga Forensics, a division of EIB STRATOC.
The FCT Commissioner of Police had ordered a manhunt after the September 29, 2025, attack at Unique Apartment, Gishiri Village, Katampe District, around 3:30 a.m.
Under ACP Victor Godfrey’s command, the Scorpion Squad captured the suspects using digital tracking and forensic data provided by Giga Forensics.
Those arrested include Zaharadeen Muhammad, Abdul Salam Saleh, Hassan Issan, Hassan Hassan, Abubakar Alkamu (Abba), Sani Sirajo (Dan Borume), Mashkur Jamilu, Suleiman Badamasi (Dan-Sule), Musa Adamu, Sumayya Mohammed, Isah Abdulrahman, and Musa Umar.
The police statement said:
“Shortly after the robbery incident on 29/09/2025 at Unique Apartment, Katampe District, four suspects; Shamsudeen Hassan, Alkamu, Sirajo, and one other, were apprehended through phone tracking services.”
During interrogation, Hassan confessed to shooting the security guard, while Sirajo said he tried to stop Maduagwu from falling from the building during the chaos. Police recovered a fake AK-47, 36 rounds of ammunition, a locally made pistol, a pump-action gun, two cartridges, four phones, knives, a cutlass, and nine torchlights.
Officers intercepted the remaining gang members as they headed to Maitama, Abuja, for another planned robbery.
Police confirmed that all 12 suspects confessed to their crimes. An early-morning attack killed Maduagwu, a respected producer and anchor at Arise News. The robbers invaded her apartment, assaulted residents, and murdered Danlami, the estate’s guard.
Investigators revealed that Maduagwu fell from the third floor while trying to escape the attackers, even though initial reports claimed someone had shot her.
