On September 29th, the residents of Gishiri Village, in Katampe District, Abuja were jolted from their sleep and shaken back to reality by a series of bizarre and jarring activities. The quietude and serenity of the suburb were shattered and the stillness, warmth and crispness of the early morning air were punctured. A clutch of depraved and perverse men had broken the tranquillity of the peaceful neighbourhood. They are armed robbers and their destination was Unique Apartments.
The armed robbers, about eighteen in number, stormed the residential apartment at about 3 a.m. and proceeded to rob every tenant in the building, stealing valuable possessions and personal effects in the process. It was during the deadly robbery operation that 29-year-old Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu, an Arise News staff member, met her end. According to reports, she had, while trying to escape from the robbers, jumped from the third floor, where her apartment was located, to the ground floor, suffering serious injuries that eventually led to her death. A security guard, Barnabas Danlami, was also killed during the robbery operation.
The death of Somtochukwu, fondly called Sommie, a vibrant and energetic lady who carried herself with grace and purpose and was deeply passionate about Nigeria, shook everyone. Her family members were seemingly disconsolate and distraught. Friends were gripped by sorrow and grief. Acquaintances and netizens were unsettled.
After Sommie’s passing, questions began to arise about what had gone wrong. How did a focused and unassuming young lady who had her full life ahead of her get sent to the world beyond in the most cruel and diabolical way one could think of? Were the forces that converged that day preventable? And what gaps in safety, response, and care allowed a tragedy like this to unfold within a neighbourhood thought secure?
Her death also came with vehement agitations from the public for the revamping of the security architecture in Abuja and addressing the growing wave of criminality in the city which has left its inhabitants on the edge for some time now. Security operatives were also enjoined to do everything to ensure that her killers are apprehended and brought to justice.
Hunt for the robbers
Due to publicity generated by the incident, no sooner had Sommie died than police began a manhunt for her killers. Little did the thieves know that the spoils of their bloody raid would mark the beginning of the end for them.
On Thursday, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Police Command disclosed that it had arrested 12 suspected armed robbers linked to the attack that led to the death of Arise News.
According to the police some of the assailants were apprehended after the phones stolen from the neighbours of Sommie were tracked to them. The spokesperson, Josephine Adeh said “Leveraging digital reconstructive intelligence and conducting coordinated operations across the FCT, Nasarawa, and Kaduna States, the team successfully apprehended twelve (12) suspects”
Those arrested are Shamsudeen Hassan (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State), Hassan Isah, 22 (Zaria, Kaduna State), Abubakar Alkamu alias Abba, 27 (Musawa LGA, Katsina State), Sani Sirajo alias Dan Borume, 20 (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State), Mashkur Jamilu alias Abba, 28 (Igabi LGA, Kaduna State), and Suleiman Badamasi alias Dan-Sule, 21 (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State).
Others are Abdul Salam Saleh alias Na-durudu (Katsina LGA, Katsina State), Zaharadeen Muhammad alias Gwaska, 23 (Chikun LGA, Kaduna State), Musa Adamu alias Musa Hassan, 30 (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State), Sumayya Mohammed alias Baby, 27 (Saminaka LGA, Kaduna State), Isah Abdulrahman alias Abbati, 25 (Zaria LGA, Kaduna State), and Musa Umar alias Small, 31 (Maiduguri LGA, Borno State).
While four suspects — Hassan, Alkamu, and Sirajo — were first arrested after investigators tracked the victims’ stolen phones, the remaining gang members, through robust digital intelligence, were arrested on October 8, 2025, while they were reportedly on their way to another robbery operation in Maitama, Abuja.
During questioning, Shamsudeen Hassan confessed to shooting the security guard, Barnabas Danlami, when he tried to stop them from gaining access to the building. Hassan also confessed that he drove away the victim’s white Honda CR-V after the operation.
Another suspect, Sani Sirajo, disclosed that he tried to prevent Somtochukwu from falling off the three-storey building but failed, saying, “I tried to stop her from jumping, but I couldn’t because she was too heavy.”
The suspects said they shared ₦200,000 each from the proceeds of the robbery.
One fabricated AK-47 rifle, 36 rounds of live ammunition, one pump-action gun, one locally made pistol, two live cartridges, four mobile phones belonging to the victims, two knives, a cutlass, and nine torchlights used during the operation were all recovered by the police.
All the suspects are said to have admitted their involvement in the crimes, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the gang.
The arrest of the robbers can’t bring back lost lives but one can only hope it will give reprieve and succour to the families of the victims, especially Somtochukwu, lighten the weight of their sorrow and ease the burden of their grief. Above all, it will mark the beginning of a journey towards getting justice for their daughter.
Discussion about this post