FCT police arrest armed robbers behind Arise TV staff’s death

Arrest of armed robbers in FCT has brought a major breakthrough in the investigation of the robbery and murder of Arise TV staff, Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu, and a security guard, Barnabas Danlami, at Gishiri village, Katampe District, Abuja.

The arrests followed a directive from the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, to track down those responsible for the deadly robbery which occurred on 29 September 2025 around 3:30 a.m.

Operatives of the Scorpion Squad, led by ACP Victor Godfrey, acted on digital and reconstructive intelligence provided by Giga Forensics, a subsidiary of EIB STRATOC. The operation led to the arrest of twelve notorious armed robbers involved in the incident.

According to police sources, the suspects confessed to their involvement in the crime that led to the deaths of the two victims.

The arrested gang members include Shamsudeen Hassan, Hassan Isah, Abubakar Alkamu, Sani Sirajo, and several others drawn from Katsina, Kaduna, and Borno States.

Following the tragic incident, police traced four of the suspects through phones stolen from the apartment during the attack.

Under interrogation, Shamsudeen Hassan admitted to shooting the security guard, Barnabas Danlami, when he tried to stop them from entering the compound.

Another suspect, Sani Sirajo, confessed that he attempted to stop Maduagwu from falling off the three-storey building but failed.

The gang further revealed that each received ₦200,000 from the loot and fled with a stolen white Honda CR-V.

Recovered exhibits include one fabricated AK-47 rifle, thirty-six rounds of live ammunition, a pump-action gun, a locally made pistol, four mobile phones belonging to the victims, sharp weapons, and torchlights used during the operation.

Acting on additional intelligence, operatives apprehended the remaining gang members on 8 October 2025 while they were en route to another planned robbery in Maitama.

The police confirmed that all twelve suspects have confessed to the crimes. Investigations are still ongoing to capture other accomplices linked to the Katampe robbery.

Images of the suspects are being withheld pending the arrest of the remaining gang members.

Also read: ARISE News anchor Somtochukwu Maduagwu killed in Abuja armed robbery

Authorities commended the swift action of the Scorpion Squad and EIB STRATOC for their effective use of digital intelligence in cracking the case. The Commissioner of Police assured the public that justice would be served.

Rtn. Victor Ojelabi

Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.