Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command, on Thursday, disclosed that it has arrested 12 suspected armed robbers responsible for the robbery incident 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.
The arrest followed a directive from the FCT Commissioner of Police to identify and apprehend those behind the tragic incident, which occurred on September 29, at about 3:30 a.m.
In a statement, the command said the operatives of the Scorpion Squad, led by ACP Victor Godfrey, acting on actionable digital and reconstructive intelligence provided by Giga Forensics, a subsidiary of EIB STRATOC, successfully tracked down and arrested the 12 suspects across multiple locations.
The suspects were identified 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); Musa Umar a.k.a. Small, 31 (Maiduguri LGA, Borno State).
According to the police, four of the suspects, Shamsudeen Hassan, Abubakar Alkamu, Sani Sirajo, and another, were first arrested after the victims’ mobile phones were tracked to them.
During interrogation, Hassan confessed to shooting the security guard, Danlami, when he attempted to stop the robbers from entering the apartment.
Sirajo, on his part, admitted trying to prevent Ms. Maduagwu from falling off the three-storey building but said he was “overwhelmed by her weight.”
Investigators said the suspects also confessed to selling some of the stolen property and sharing the proceeds, with each reportedly receiving ₦200,000.
Recovered items include: one fabricated AK-47 rife, 36 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, nine torchlights used during the operation.
The police further disclosed that, on October 8, acting on another round of digital intelligence, operatives intercepted the remaining members of the gang, including Musa Umar (Small) and Hassan Isah, while they were allegedly on their way to carry out another planned robbery in Maitama, Abuja.
“All suspects have confessed to the crimes. Investigation is ongoing, and further developments will be communicated,” the statement said.
The police noted that the photos of the arrested suspects have been withheld to avoid jeopardising the manhunt for other fleeing gang members