Somtochukwu Maduagwu robbery suspects arrested by FCT police; arms sourced from Niger Republic dealer, 12 suspects linked to journalist’s murder

Somtochukwu Maduagwu robbery suspects have been apprehended by the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, who say the criminal syndicate responsible for the brutal killing of the ARISE News anchor sourced its weapons from an arms supplier in the Niger Republic.

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

The journalist was murdered alongside a security guard, Barnabas Danlami, during a violent robbery on 29 September 2025 at Unique Apartments, Katampe Extension, Abuja.

On Friday, FCT police spokesperson SP Josephine Adeh confirmed that 12 individuals have been arrested in connection with the crime.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the gang obtained a locally fabricated AK-47 rifle, a pump-action gun, and a pistol from an illicit arms dealer operating across the Nigeria–Niger border. All suspects are originally from Kaduna and Katsina States.

According to SP Adeh, “All the suspects are from Kaduna and Katsina States and have confessed to obtaining their weapons from a yet-to-be-identified supplier in the Niger Republic.”

The suspects are: 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).

The gang admitted to multiple armed robberies across the FCT, including in Katampe 1, a hotel in Apo, and another target in Zuba, prior to the fatal Katampe Extension attack.

Further investigations confirmed that Shamsudeen Hassan fired the shot that killed security guard Mr Danlami during the robbery. Police said this was confirmed through both forensic and testimonial evidence.

In response to the incident, Commissioner of Police Ajao Adewale set up a Special Investigation Team led by DCP Aliyu Abubakar and assisted by ACP Victor Godfrey.

The team used “digital reconstructive intelligence” and coordinated operations across Abuja, Nasarawa, and Kaduna to track the suspects.

Adeh stated, “The team successfully apprehended the suspects following an intelligence-led manhunt. This represents a critical breakthrough in dismantling the wider network behind the murder.”

The FCT police are urging the public to stay alert and report suspicious activity via the Command’s emergency lines.

The murder of Maduagwu sparked national outrage and renewed scrutiny over Nigeria’s porous borders, which continue to facilitate the influx of illegal arms.

A 2016 UN report estimated that Nigeria hosts around 70% of all small arms circulating in West Africa — approximately 350 million of 500 million such weapons.