The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has revealed that the armed robbery gang responsible for the death of ARISE News anchor, Somtochukwu Maduagwu, got their weapons from a supplier in the Niger Republic.
The revelation was made in a statement issued on Friday by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh.
According to Adeh, investigations showed that the gang obtained a locally fabricated AK-47, a pump-action shotgun, and a pistol from an arms dealer operating across the Nigeria–Niger border.
“All the suspects are from Kaduna and Katsina States and have confessed to obtaining their weapons from a yet-to-be-identified supplier in the Niger Republic,” she stated.
The police have arrested several members of the gang. Those in custody include: Shamsudeen Hassan, Hassan Isah (22), Abubakar Alkamu (27), Sani Sirajo (20), Mashkur Jamilu (28), Suleiman Badamasi (21), Abdulsalam Saleh, Zaharadeen Muhammad (23), Musa Adamu (30), Sumayya Mohammed (27), Isah Abdulrahman (25), and Musa Umar (31).
Further investigation by the police revealed that the suspects had carried out multiple armed robbery operations across the FCT before the attack that led to Maduagwu’s death.
“They have confessed to participating in other armed robbery operations at Katampe 1, a hotel in Apo, and another in Zuba, all within the FCT,” Adeh said.
The tragic incident involving the ARISE TV presenter occurred during one of these robberies, in which a security guard was also killed. According to the police, Hassan Shamsudeen was the one who fired the fatal shot that killed the security personnel.
The death of Somtochukwu Maduagwu, a young and promising journalist, has sparked nationwide outrage and renewed calls for improved security, especially in the Federal Capital Territory.
The police have assured that investigations are ongoing to track down the arms supplier and dismantle the network smuggling weapons into Nigeria through the Niger Republic.
