Eleven men have appeared in court in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, charged with the murder of a prominent television journalist and a security guard during a brutal apartment raid.
Somtochukwu Maduagwu, a 29-year-old anchor and producer for Arise News, was killed in September 2025 when armed robbers stormed a residential complex in the Katampe Extension district. A security guard at the building, Barnabas Danlami, was also killed in the attack.
The case has drawn international attention to the growing security challenges in Abuja’s affluent suburbs and the risks faced by media professionals in the country.
A ‘cruel and senseless’ attack
The court heard that on 29 September, a gang moved “from flat to flat” in a three-storey apartment block in the early hours of the morning, dispossessing residents of their valuables.
Police found Ms Maduagwu unconscious at the scene at approximately 03:30 local time. Despite efforts by doctors at Maitama General Hospital to resuscitate her using CPR, she was pronounced dead shortly after.
The suspects face a nine-count charge, including:
- Criminal Conspiracy
- Armed Robbery
- Murder
Cross-border arms trail
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command revealed that the syndicate allegedly sourced their weaponry from an arms dealer operating across the porous Nigeria–Niger border.
During the investigation, detectives recovered a “fabricated” AK-47 rifle, a pump-action shotgun, and 36 rounds of live ammunition. Police also found four mobile phones belonging to the victims, alongside knives and cutlasses.
Under interrogation, the suspects reportedly confessed to a string of other high-profile robberies across the capital, including raids on hotels in the Apo and Zuba districts.
‘Bold and intelligent’
Ms Maduagwu was a rising star in Nigerian media. A former beauty queen, she represented Nigeria at the Miss Tourism World pageant in China in 2023 before joining Arise News as a legal-trained reporter.
In a statement, Arise TV described her as “delectable, intelligent, and bold,” noting her passionate advocacy for out-of-school children and her campaigns against gender-based violence.
Security under scrutiny
The FCT Commissioner of Police, Ajao Adewale, condemned the killing as “cruel and senseless,” insisting such violence “has no place in a sane society.”
The case has been adjourned until February 2026. In the meantime, authorities have urged Abuja residents to remain vigilant and use emergency hotlines to report suspicious activity in their neighbourhoods.
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