The Nigeria Police Force has arrested twelve suspected armed robbers allegedly involved in the violent robbery that led to the death of Arise News staff, Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu, in Abuja.
The suspects were identified as Shamsudeen Hassan from Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State; Hassan Isah (22) from Zaria, Kaduna State; Abubakar Alkamu a.k.a. Abba (27) from Musawa LGA, Katsina State; Sani Sirajo a.k.a. Dan Borume (20) from Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State; Mashkur Jamilu a.k.a. Abba (28) from Igabi LGA, Kaduna State; Suleiman Badamasi a.k.a. Dan-Sule (21) from Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State; Abdul Salam Saleh a.k.a. Na-Durudu from Katsina LGA, Katsina State; Zaharadeen Muhammad a.k.a. Gwaska (23) from Chikun LGA, Kaduna State; Musa Adamu a.k.a. Musa Hassan (30) from Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State; Sumayya Mohammed a.k.a. Baby (27) from Saminaka LGA, Kaduna State; Isah Abdulrahman a.k.a. Abbati (25) from Zaria LGA, Kaduna State; and Musa Umar a.k.a. Small (31) from Maiduguri LGA, Borno State.
According to the Police, four of the suspects — Shamsudeen Hassan, Abubakar Alkamu, Sani Sirajo, and another accomplice — were initially apprehended through the tracking of mobile phones stolen from the victims’ apartment during the robbery.
During interrogation, Shamsudeen Hassan confessed to shooting the security guard who attempted to prevent their entry into the apartment, while Sani Sirajo admitted trying to stop Maduagwu from falling off the three-storey building but said he was “overwhelmed by her weight.” Shamsudeen also confessed to driving the stolen white Honda CR-V jeep away from the scene after the operation.
The suspects revealed that each member of the gang received ₦200,000 from the proceeds of the robbery.
Recovered items from the suspects include one fabricated AK-47 rifle, thirty-six rounds of 9mm live ammunition, one locally made pistol, one pump-action gun, two live cartridges, four mobile phones belonging to the victims, two sharp knives, one cutlass, and nine torchlights used during the operation.
Further investigations led to the arrest of the remaining gang members on October 8, 2025, when police operatives, acting on intelligence, intercepted them en route to another planned armed robbery in the Maitama area of Abuja.
Police authorities confirmed that all the suspects have confessed to their involvement in the Gishiri robbery that claimed Maduagwu’s life.
Investigations are ongoing.