BREAKING: Police Arrest 12 Over Killing of Arise TV Staff, Security Guard in Abuja

Tinubu’s Order Triggers Swift Crackdown as Scorpion Squad Tracks Suspects with Digital Intelligence

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested 12 suspected armed robbers in connection with the gruesome killing of Arise Television staff, Ms. Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu, and a security guard, Mr. Barnabas Danlami, during a robbery attack at Unique Apartment, Gishiri Village, Katampe District, Abuja.

The arrest came barely a week after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed security agencies to fish out the perpetrators of the brutal crime that sent shockwaves across the nation.

The incident occurred on September 29, 2025, around 3:30 a.m., when a gang of armed robbers invaded the apartment complex.
Eyewitnesses said the late Maduagwu, who worked with Arise TV’s production unit, was reportedly preparing for work when the attackers struck. In a desperate attempt to escape, she fell from the third floor and died on the spot. The security guard, Mr. Danlami, was shot dead while trying to resist the robbers.

How Police Tracked the Killers

According to a report by counterinsurgency expert Zagazola Makama, the suspects were rounded up by operatives of the Scorpion Squad, led by ACP Victor O. Godfrey, after a painstaking operation involving digital and reconstructive intelligence.

The police team traced the suspects across several states before finally nabbing them in coordinated raids in Abuja and parts of Kaduna and Katsina.

Those arrested include:
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); and Musa Umar, 31 (Maiduguri, Borno State).

Police investigations revealed chilling details of the attack.
The gang leader, Shamsudeen Hassan, reportedly confessed to shooting the security guard, while Sani Sirajo admitted trying to hold Ms. Maduagwu as she fell from the third floor.

Shamsudeen also confessed to driving away the victims’ white Honda CR-V after the operation, while the gang later shared ₦200,000 each from the proceeds of the robbery.

Recovered items from the suspects include one fabricated AK-47 rifle, 36 rounds of live ammunition, one locally-made pistol, one pump-action gun, two cartridges, four mobile phones, two knives, one cutlass, and nine torchlights.

Further arrests were made on October 8, 2025, when police operatives intercepted three members of the gang — including Musa Umar and Hassan Isah — while allegedly planning another robbery in Maitama.

Police Vow to Sustain Crackdown

The FCT Commissioner of Police commended the operatives for their swift action, assuring residents that the Command will sustain its onslaught against violent crime in the territory.

> “We are committed to ensuring that Abuja remains safe for all. The suspects will be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded,” the Commissioner said.

Residents of the FCT have since lauded the police for their quick response, urging authorities to ensure justice for the slain journalist and her colleague.