The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has apprehended 12 suspects linked to a violent robbery on September 29, 2025, at Unique Apartment, Gishiri Village, Katampe District, which resulted in the tragic deaths of Arise News staff member Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu and security guard Barnabas Danlami. The arrests, announced today, follow a directive from the FCT Commissioner of Police to dismantle the criminal network responsible.
Led by ACP Victor Godfrey of the Scorpion Squad, operatives utilized actionable digital and reconstructive intelligence from Giga Forensics, a subsidiary of EIB STRATOC, to track and arrest the suspects. The operation began with the apprehension of four suspects—Shamsudeen Hassan, Abubakar Alkamu, Sani Sirajo, and one other—through phone tracking shortly after the robbery. On October 8, 2025, eight additional gang members, including Musa Umar and Hassan Isah, were intercepted while planning another robbery in Maitama.
During interrogation, Shamsudeen Hassan confessed to shooting the security guard, Barnabas Danlami, who attempted to block their entry. Sani Sirajo admitted to struggling to prevent Somtochukwu Maduagwu from falling off the three-storey building, overwhelmed by her weight. The suspects also admitted to stealing a white Honda CR-V and sharing ₦200,000 each from the crime’s proceeds.
Recovered items include a fabricated AK-47 rifle, 36 rounds of 9mm ammunition, a locally made pistol, a pump-action gun, two live cartridges, four stolen mobile phones, two knives, a cutlass, and nine torchlights used during the robbery. The police are continuing investigations to apprehend remaining gang members, with further updates expected.
Exhibits, including a recovered AK-47 at Zuma Rock, have been documented, but suspect photos remain redacted pending additional arrests.
