By Kingsley Omonobi
Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Police Command has confirmed the arrest of 12 suspected armed robbers linked to the attack that led to the death of Arise News staff member, Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu, and a security guard, Barnabas Danlami, at Unique Apartments, Gishiri Village, Katampe District, Abuja.
The suspects were arrested by operatives of the Scorpion Squad, led by ACP Victor Godfrey, following actionable digital and reconstructive intelligence provided by Giga Forensics, a subsidiary of EIB Stratoc.
Those arrested include Shamsudeen Hassan (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State), Hassan Isah, 22 (Zaria, Kaduna State), Abubakar Alkamu alias Abba, 27 (Musawa LGA, Katsina State), Sani Sirajo alias Dan Borume, 20 (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State), Mashkur Jamilu alias Abba, 28 (Igabi LGA, Kaduna State), and Suleiman Badamasi alias Dan-Sule, 21 (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State).
Others are Abdul Salam Saleh alias Na-durudu (Katsina LGA, Katsina State), Zaharadeen Muhammad alias Gwaska, 23 (Chikun LGA, Kaduna State), Musa Adamu alias Musa Hassan, 30 (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State), Sumayya Mohammed alias Baby, 27 (Saminaka LGA, Kaduna State), Isah Abdulrahman alias Abbati, 25 (Zaria LGA, Kaduna State), and Musa Umar alias Small, 31 (Maiduguri LGA, Borno State).
Police said the robbery occurred on September 29, 2025, around 3:30 a.m., when the gang invaded the apartment.
During interrogation, Shamsudeen Hassan confessed to shooting the security guard, Barnabas Danlami, when he attempted to stop them from gaining entry.
Another suspect, Sani Sirajo, claimed he tried to hold Somtochukwu from falling off the three-storey building but failed, saying, “I tried to stop her from jumping, but I couldn’t because she was too heavy.”
Hassan also admitted that he drove away the victim’s white Honda CR-V after the operation.
The suspects said they shared ?200,000 each from the proceeds of the robbery.
Recovered items included one fabricated AK-47 rifle, 36 rounds of live ammunition, one pump-action gun, one locally made pistol, two live cartridges, four mobile phones belonging to the victims, two knives, a cutlass, and nine torchlights used during the operation.
Police said four suspects — including Hassan, Alkamu, and Sirajo — were first arrested after investigators tracked the victims’ stolen phones.
Further digital intelligence led to the arrest of the remaining gang members on October 8, 2025, while they were reportedly on their way to another robbery operation in Maitama, Abuja.
All the suspects have allegedly confessed to their involvement in the crimes, while efforts are ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the gang.
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