Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have arrested at least 12 suspected armed robbers in connection with the killing of an Arise News staff member, Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu, and a security guard, Barnabas Danlami, during a robbery attack in Abuja.
Arise TV, which confirmed the development through a statement posted on its on its website on Thursday, said the arrests followed an operation led by the Scorpion Squad under the FCT Command, based on intelligence provided by a forensics firm, Giga Forensics, a subsidiary of EIB STRATOC.
The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, according to Arise, ordered a manhunt for the suspects after the September 29, 2025, attack at Unique Apartment in Gishiri Village, Katampe District, which occurred around 3:30 a.m.
According to the statement, operatives of the Scorpion Squad, led by ACP Victor Godfrey, arrested the suspects following actionable digital and reconstructive intelligence provided by Giga Forensics, a subsidiary of EIB STRATOC.
The 12 suspects who were arrested in connection with the incident include Shamsudeen Hassan, Hassan Isah, Abubakar Alkamu (also known as Abba), Sani Sirajo (also known as Dan Borume), Mashkur Jamilu, Suleiman Badamasi (also known as Dan-Sule), Abdul Salam Saleh, Zaharadeen Muhammad, Musa Adamu, Sumayya Mohammed, Isah Abdulrahman, and Musa Umar
The statement partly read, “It is important to note that shortly after the robbery incident that took place 29/09/2025 at about 0330hrs at unique apartment, Katampe district, Mabushi, which tragically led to the deaths of Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu and Barnabas Danlami, four (4) of the suspects, Shamsudeen Hassan, Alkamu, Sirajo and one other person were apprehended through the tracking of phones stolen from the apartment during the robbery (Tracking and intercept service provided by us).”
During interrogation, Hassan confessed to shooting the security guard while attempting to gain entry, while Sirajo claimed he tried to stop Maduagwu from falling off the building during the attack.
Items recovered from the suspects include a fabricated AK-47 rifle, 36 rounds of live ammunition, a locally made pistol, a pump-action gun, two cartridges, four mobile phones belonging to the victims, knives, a cutlass, and nine torchlights.
The police added that the remaining gang members were intercepted on Wednesday while allegedly heading for another planned robbery in Maitama, Abuja.
The suspects, according to the report, confessed to the crime, while the investigation continues.
Recall that Maduagwu, an anchor and producer with Arise News, died during a robbery at her residence in the Gishiri area of Katampe District, Abuja, in the early hours of September 29, 2025.
The attackers reportedly invaded the apartment, attacked occupants, and also killed the estate’s security guard, Barnabas Danlami.
According to police reports, Maduagwu fell from the third floor of her building while attempting to escape the intruders, contrary to initial claims that she was shot.
