Arise News anchor Somtochukwu Maduagwu died on Monday, September 29, 2025, following a robbery attack at her home in the Katampe area of Abuja. She was 29 years old.
Birth and early life
Somtochukwu was born on December 26, 1995, in London, United Kingdom, to parents from Anambra State. She grew up partly in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Education and legal career
She studied law in the United Kingdom before returning to Nigeria for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme. Somtochukwu worked with the International Dispute Resolution Institute and later as junior counsel at Akinlolu Kehinde SAN & Co. She also held secretarial and legal executive roles in private firms.
Beauty pageantry
In 2023, Somtochukwu won Miss Tourism Nigeria and went on to represent Nigeria at the Miss Tourism World pageant in Quanzhou, China. Her first appearance on Arise News was as a guest following her participation in the pageant.
Media career
She joined Arise News formally in September 2024, serving as an anchor, reporter and producer. Her work focused on issues including education, gender rights and representation. One of her recent reports covered the submission of a memorandum for the Reserved Seats for Women Bill on September 21, 2025.
Advocacy
Maduagwu used her platform to highlight issues affecting women and children. She advocated for out-of-school children and spoke against sexual and gender-based violence.
Public aspirations
Somtochukwu often spoke about her desire to contribute to Nigeria through politics. She once shared that she felt unfulfilled after relocating to the United Kingdom and returned home with the hope of making an impact.
Death in Abuja and reactions
Maduagwu was killed during a robbery incident at her home in Katampe, Abuja, in the early hours of September 29, 2025. Her death has drawn reactions from colleagues, public figures and government officials. Arise News confirmed her death and urged security agencies to investigate and bring those responsible to justice.
