Police Nab 12-Man Gang Behind Killing of Arise TV Staff

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested 12 suspected armed robbers linked to the brutal killing of Arise TV staff member, Ms. Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu, and a security guard, Mr. Barnabas Danlami, during a robbery at Unique Apartment, Gishiri Village, Katampe District, Abuja.

The breakthrough came after President Bola Tinubu directed security agencies to ensure the killers were brought to justice.

According to counterinsurgency expert Zagazola Makama, the arrests were made by operatives of the Scorpion Squad, led by ACP Victor O. Godfrey, who tracked the suspects using advanced digital and reconstructive intelligence.

The incident occurred around 3:30 a.m. on September 29, 2025, when the robbers invaded the victims’ residence, leading to the deaths of Maduagwu and Danlami.

The suspects were identified as:

• Shamsudeen Hassan (Malumfashi, Katsina State)
• Hassan Isah, 22 (Zaria, Kaduna State)
• Abubakar Alkamu, 27 (Musawa, Katsina 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)
• Musa Umar, 31 (Maiduguri, Borno State).

Police sources said four suspects — Shamsudeen, Hassan, Alkamu, and Sirajo — were first arrested shortly after the incident and confessed to their involvement.

Shamsudeen reportedly admitted to shooting the security guard, while Sirajo claimed he attempted to hold Maduagwu as she fell from the third floor. The gang later shared ₦200,000 each from the stolen proceeds, and Shamsudeen confessed to escaping with the victims’ white Honda CR-V.

Recovered items included one fabricated AK-47 rifle, 36 live rounds, a locally-made pistol, a pump-action gun, two cartridges, four mobile phones, two knives, a cutlass, and nine torchlights.

Further arrests were made on October 8, 2025, when operatives intercepted Musa Umar, Hassan Isah, and another gang member while planning a fresh robbery in Maitama.

The FCT Commissioner of Police commended the Scorpion Squad for their swift and decisive action, assuring residents that the Command will continue its relentless operations against violent crime in the capital.