Abuja – Twelve individuals suspected of involvement in the deadly armed robbery at Unique Apartment, Gishiri village, Katampe district, Abuja, on September 29, 2025, have been arrested by the Federal Capital Territory Police. The robbery led to the tragic deaths of Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu, an Arise News staff serving as anchor, reporter, and producer, and Barnabas Danlami, the security guard protecting the apartment complex.
Operatives of the Scorpion Squad, led by ACP Victor Godfrey, conducted the arrests based on actionable intelligence furnished by Giga Forensics, a subsidiary of EIB STRATOC. The suspects hail from various locales in northern Nigeria, including Katsina, Kaduna, and Borno states. They are Shamsudeen Hassan, Hassan Isah, Abubakar Alkamu alias Abba, Sani Sirajo alias Dan Borume, Mashkur Jamilu alias Abba, Suleiman Badamasi alias Dan-Sule, Abdul Salam Saleh alias Na-Durudu, Zaharadeen Muhammad alias Gwaska, Musa Adamu alias Musa Hassan, Sumayya Mohammed alias Baby, Isah Abdulrahman alias Abbati, and Musa Umar alias Small.
According to confessions, Shamsudeen Hassan admitted shooting security guard Barnabas Danlami when he tried to block the gang’s entry into the apartment. Sani Sirajo confessed attempting to prevent Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu from falling off the building’s third floor but couldn’t manage her weight. Shamsudeen Hassan also confessed driving the getaway vehicle, a white Honda CR-V jeep. The initially arrested four suspects disclosed they each got ₦200,000 from the robbery proceeds.
Recovered items linked to the crime include a fabricated AK-47 rifle, 36 rounds of 9mm ammunition, a locally-made pistol, a pump-action gun, two live cartridges, victims’ four mobile phones, two knives, a cutlass, and nine torchlights used in the operation. Tracking of stolen phones aided apprehension of four suspects immediately post-incident, courtesy of Giga Forensics’ intercept services.
The remaining suspects were caught October 8, 2025, while heading to execute another planned robbery in Maitama, Abuja, based on intelligence. All arrested suspects have confessed involvement. Police say investigations continue; further updates will follow. Suspects’ images are withheld pending capture of other fugitives linked to the operation. Video evidence shows recovery of an AK47 rifle at Zuma Rock.
