Eleven suspects have been remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja over the deaths of ARISE News anchor Somtochukwu Maduagwu and security guard Barnabas Danlami during a robbery at the journalist’s residence in September 2025.
The FCT High Court in Jabi ordered the remand after the police arraigned the suspects on nine counts, including criminal conspiracy, armed robbery and murder.
Those arraigned include Shamsu Hassan, Sani Sirajo, Hassan Isah, Abubakar Alkamu, Abdulsalam Saleh, Suleiman Badamasi, Zaharadeen Mohammed, Musa Umar, Mashkur Jamil, Suleiman Sani and Abubakar Usman.
All defendants pleaded not guilty and were remanded pending trial. Trial dates were fixed for February 9, 10 and 12.
According to Josephine Adeh, spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, the suspects were arrested following investigations linking them to the attack at Unique Apartments, Katampe Extension, Mabushi, Abuja, on September 29, 2025.
During the attack, Maduagwu reportedly attempted to escape by jumping from her apartment balcony and sustained fatal injuries. Danlami was shot while on duty.
The arrests followed intelligence that the gang sourced their weapons from a supplier in the Niger Republic.
Police investigations also linked the suspects to other armed robberies within the estate.
Somtochukwu Maduagwu, 29, who also represented Nigeria at the Miss Tourism World 2023 pageant, was buried on October 18, 2025, in Agulu, Anambra State.
Her death prompted the President and FCT authorities to order investigations and ensure that those responsible were brought to justice.
