In a bold strike against the capital’s underbelly of crime, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested 12 hardened armed robbers, unmasking the gang behind the savage killing of Arise TV staffer Ms. Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu and security guard Mr. Barnabas Danlami.
The dawn raid, spearheaded by the elite Scorpion Squad under ACP Victor O. Godfrey, fulfilled President Bola Tinubu’s ironclad directive to security forces: hunt down the killers without mercy.
The horror unfolded on September 29 at 3:30 a.m. at Unique Apartment in Gishiri Village, Katampe District. Masked intruders stormed the premises, gunning down Danlami as he heroically barred their entry.
Maduagwu, a 28-year-old rising star at Arise TV, plummeted from the third floor in a desperate bid to escape, her life snuffed out in the chaos. The assailants fled with a white Honda CR-V and other valuables, leaving a trail of blood and terror.
Tracked via cutting-edge digital forensics and reconstructive intelligence—bolstered by FCT Commissioner of Police’s no-holds-barred orders—the net closed swiftly.
Four suspects—Shamsudeen Hassan (from Malumfashi LGA, Katsina), Hassan Isah (22, Zaria, Kaduna), Abubakar Alkamu (a.k.a. Abba, 27, Musawa LGA, Katsina), and Sani Sirajo (a.k.a. Dan Borume, 20, Malumfashi LGA, Katsina)—were nabbed hours after the heist.
Under grilling, Shamsudeen chillingly confessed to firing the fatal shot at Danlami, while Sirajo admitted grappling futilely with Maduagwu’s falling form, overwhelmed by her weight.
The dragnet widened on October 8, when intel tipped off a sting in Maitama, snaring three more—Musa Umar (a.k.a. Small, 31, Maiduguri LGA, Borno) and accomplices—en route to another heist.
The full roster of the 12-man syndicate, hailing mostly from Katsina and Kaduna, includes: Mashkur Jamili (a.k.a. Abba, 28, Igabi LGA, Kaduna); Suleiman Badamasi (a.k.a. Dan-Sule, 21, Malumfashi LGA, Katsina); Abdulsalam Saleh (a.k.a. Na-Durudu, Katsina LGA, Katsina); Zaharadeen Muhammad (a.k.a. Gwaska, 23, Chikun LGA, Kaduna); Musa Adamu (a.k.a. Musa Hassan, 30, Malumfashi LGA, Katsina); Sumayya Mohammed (a.k.a. Baby, 27, Sammaka LGA, Kaduna); and Isah Abdulrahman (a.k.a. Abbati, 25, Zaria LGA, Kaduna).
All have cracked, spilling details of their blood-soaked operation: Each pocketed ₦200,000 from the loot, with Shamsudeen commandeering the stolen SUV. Haul from the arrests? A chilling arsenal—one fabricated AK-47 rifle, 36 rounds of 9mm ammo, a locally-made pistol, pump-action gun, two live cartridges, four mobiles, knives, a cutlass, and nine torchlights—tools of nocturnal predators who terrorized Abuja’s elite enclaves.
Commissioner of Police hailed the Scorpion Squad’s “lightning response,” vowing relentless ops to purge the FCT of such scourges. For Maduagwu’s grieving colleagues and Danlami’s family, it’s a flicker of solace amid raw anguish—Arise TV’s statement lauding her “unwavering spirit” in investigative journalism.
Yet, as Tinubu’s zero-tolerance stance echoes, these arrests signal a broader war: In a city where armed gangs siphon billions from commerce and prey on the vulnerable, swift justice isn’t just retribution—it’s the bedrock for restoring investor faith in Nigeria’s $500bn economy and shielding citizens from fear’s daily grip. With suspects in custody awaiting arraignment, Abuja exhales, but vigilance endures.
© TG News
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