The Federal Capital Territory Police Command says it has arrested 12 suspected armed robbers linked to the violent attack that led to the death of Arise News anchor, Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu, and a security guard, Barnabas Danlami, at Unique Apartments, Gishiri Village, Katampe District, Abuja.
News360 Info reports that the incident, which occurred around 3:30 a.m. on September 29, threw the media community and residents into mourning.
In a statement on Wednesday, the command said the arrests followed a directive from the FCT Commissioner of Police to track and apprehend those responsible.
Operatives of the Scorpion Squad, led by ACP Victor Godfrey, acting on what the police described as “actionable digital and reconstructive intelligence” provided by Giga Forensics, a subsidiary of EIB STRATOC, swooped on the suspects across different hideouts in the FCT and neighbouring states.
The suspects were named as: Shamsudeen Hassan (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State); Hassan Isah, 22 (Zaria, Kaduna State); Abubakar Alkamu a.k.a. Abba, 27 (Musawa LGA, Katsina State); Sani Sirajo a.k.a. Dan Borume, 20 (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State); Mashkur Jamilu a.k.a. Abba, 28 (Igabi LGA, Kaduna State); Suleiman Badamasi a.k.a. Dan-Sule, 21 (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State); Abdul Salam Saleh a.k.a. Na-Durudu (Katsina LGA, Katsina State); Zaharadeen Muhammad a.k.a. Gwaska, 23 (Chikun LGA, Kaduna State); Musa Adamu a.k.a. Musa Hassan, 30 (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State); Sumayya Mohammed a.k.a. Baby, 27 (Sammaka LGA, Kaduna State); Isah Abdulrahman a.k.a. Abbati, 25 (Zaria LGA, Kaduna State); and Musa Umar a.k.a. Small, 31 (Maiduguri LGA, Borno State).
According to investigators, four suspects, including Hassan and Abubakar Alkamu, were first tracked after using the victims’ stolen phones.
During interrogation, Hassan confessed to shooting the security guard, Danlami, when he resisted the gang’s entry into the building.
Sirajo also admitted to struggling with Ms Maduagwu during the chaos, saying he attempted to stop her from falling off the three-storey building but claimed he was “overwhelmed by her weight.”
The police revealed that the gang sold some of the stolen items, with each member reportedly receiving ₦200,000 as their share.
Recovered from the suspects were: one fabricated AK-47 rifle, 36 rounds of 9mm live ammunition, a locally made pistol, a pump-action gun, two live cartridges, four mobile phones belonging to the victims, two sharp knives, a cutlass, and nine torchlights used in the operation.
The command further disclosed that on October 8, operatives intercepted more gang members, including Musa Umar and Hassan Isah, while they were allegedly heading for another planned robbery in Maitama, Abuja.
“All suspects have confessed to the crimes. Investigation is ongoing, and further developments will be communicated,” the police statement added.
The command, however, noted that photographs of the arrested suspects were being withheld to avoid compromising efforts to apprehend other fleeing accomplices.
