“I Tried to Hold Her,” Suspect Confesses in Robbery That Killed Arise News Employee.
Nigeria police authorities have announced the arrest of twelve individuals believed to be responsible for a violent armed robbery that resulted in the tragic death of Somtochukwu Maduagwu, a staff member of Arise News.
The suspects, whose names and origins were released by the police, are predominantly from Katsina and Kaduna states. They are: Shamsudeen Hassan, Hassan Isah, Abubakar Alkamu (aka Abba), Sani Sirajo (aka Dan Borume), Mashkur Jamilu (aka Abba), Suleiman Badamasi (aka Dan-Sule), Abdul Salam Saleh (aka Na-Durudu), Zaharadeen Muhammad (aka Gwaska), Musa Adamu (aka Musa Hassan), Sumayya Mohammed (aka Baby), Isah Abdulrahman (aka Abbati), and Musa Umar (aka Small) from Borno State.
The incident, which sent shockwaves through the Gishiri community, took a fatal turn when Maduagwu fell from a three-storey building while attempting to escape the armed assailants.
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According to police reports, the investigation moved quickly. Shortly after the robbery, four of the suspects—Shamsudeen Hassan, Abubakar Alkamu, Sani Sirajo, and another—were tracked down and apprehended after police traced mobile phones stolen from the apartment during the crime.
During interrogation, the suspects provided chilling details of that night. Shamsudeen Hassan confessed to being the one who shot the estate’s security guard when he tried to block their entry. In a grim admission, Sani Sirajo stated that he attempted to prevent Maduagwu’s fall but claimed he was “overwhelmed by her weight.” Shamsudeen further admitted to driving away from the scene in the victims’ white Honda CR-V jeep. The initial four arrested suspects each received ₦200,000 from the robbery’s proceeds.
The police recovery from the suspects paints a picture of a heavily armed and organized gang. The seized items include a fabricated AK-47 rifle, a pump-action gun, a locally made pistol, 36 rounds of 9mm live ammunition, two cartridges, two sharp knives, a cutlass, and nine torchlights used during the operation. Four of the victims’ mobile phones were also recovered.
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The net closed on the remaining members of the gang just yesterday, on October 8, 2025. Acting on a tip-off and what authorities described as “actionable digital intelligence,” police intercepted the other suspects—including Musa Umar and Hassan Isah—while they were reportedly on their way to another planned armed robbery operation in the upscale Maitama district, scheduled for the early hours of this morning.
A police source confirmed that all twelve individuals have confessed to their involvement in the Gishiri robbery. Investigations are ongoing as authorities work to determine if the group is linked to other criminal activities in the Federal Capital Territory and surrounding states.
The arrest of these suspects offers a measure of solace to a community rattled by violent crime and provides a crucial step toward justice for the family and colleagues of the late Somtochukwu Maduagwu.
