Breaking: Police Nab 12 in Connection with Murder of Arise TV’s Somtochukwu — Full List Released

In connection with the murder of a security guard, Mr. Barnabas Danlami, and an employee of Arise TV, Ms. Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu, during a robbery attack at Unique Apartment, Gishiri Village, Katampe District, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, or FCT, Police Command has detained 12 suspected armed robbers.

Following President Bola Tinubu’s order for security forces to capture the murderers, the arrests were made.
The suspects were apprehended by Scorpion Squad members under the command of ACP Victor O. Godfrey after being located via digital and reconstructive intelligence, according to a report by counterinsurgency specialist Zagazola Makama.

The victims were killed during a robbery at their home on September 29, 2025, at around 3:30 am.

Shamsudeen Hassan (Malumfashi, Katsina State), Hassan Isah (22 (Zaria, Kaduna State), Abubakar Alkamu (27 (Musawa, Kaduna State), Sani Sirajo (20 (Malumfashi, Katsina State), Mashkur Jamili (28 (Igabi, Kaduna State), Suleiman Badamasi (21 (Malumfashi, Katsina State), Abdulsalam Saleh (Katsina LGA, Katsina State), Zaharadeen Muhammad (23 (Chikun, Kaduna State), Musa Adamu (30 (Malumfashi, Katsina State), Sumayya Mohammed (27 (Sammaka, Kaduna State), Isah Abdulrahman (25 (Zaria, Kaduna State), and Musa Umar (31) (Maiduguri, Borno State) were identified as suspects.

Four suspects were initially detained soon after the incident and confessed to their roles: Shamsudeen, Hassan, Alkamu, and Sirajo, according to police sources.

According to Sirajo, Shamsudeen attempted to stop Maduagwu from falling from the third floor, and Shamsudeen acknowledged shooting the security guard.

After the procedure, Shamsudeen admitted to taking the victims’ white Honda CR-V and driving it off. N200,000 from the robbery’s profits is said to have been divided among the suspects.

36 rounds of live ammo, one locally manufactured handgun, one pump-action gun, two cartridges, four cell phones, two knives, a cutlass, nine torchlights, and one fake AK-47 rifle were among the goods recovered from the gang.

When officers stopped three gang members, including Hassan Isah and Musa Umar, on October 8, 2025, while they were preparing a new heist in Maitama, more arrests were made.

All 12 suspects are in jail and have admitted to the crimes, according to the police.

The FCT Commissioner of Police praised the Scorpion Squad for their prompt response and gave locals the assurance that the Command would continue to fight violent crime in the area.