FCT Police Arrest 12 Suspects In Armed Robbery And Murder Of Arise News Staff And Security Guard

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By Silvernews Metro Desk

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested twelve suspected armed robbers in connection with the brutal robbery and killing of Arise News staff, Mrs. Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu, and a security guard, Mr. Barnabas Danlami, at Unique Apartment, Gishiri Village, Katampe District, Abuja. The tragic accident occurred on September 29, 2025, around 3:30 am
The breakthrough followed the FCT Police Commissioner’s directive to immediately arrest those responsible. Acting on digital and reconstructive intelligence provided by Giga Forensics, a subsidiary of BEI STRATOC, Scorpion Squad operatives, led by ACP Victor Godfrey, arrested suspects during coordinated operations in several states.
Those arrested include:
Shamsudeen Hassan (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State)
Hassan Isah, 22 years old (Zaria, Kaduna State)
Abubakar Alkamu alias Abba, 27 (Musawa LGA, Katsina State)
Sani Sirajo alias Dan Borume, 20 years old (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State)
Mashkur Jamilu alias Abba, 28 years old (Igabi LGA, Kaduna State)
Suleiman Badamasi alias Dan-Sule, 21 years old (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State)
Abdul Salam Saleh alias Na-Durudu (Katsina LGA, Katsina State)
Zaharadeen Muhammad alias Gwaska, 23 years old (Chikun LGA, Kaduna State)
Musa Adamu alias Musa Hassan, 30 (Malumfashi LGA, Katsina State)
Sumayya Mohammed alias Baby, 27 years old (Sammaka LGA, Kaduna State)
Isah Abdulrahman alias Abbati, 25 years old (Zaria LGA, Kaduna State)
Musa Umar alias Small, 31 years old (Maiduguri LGA, Borno State).

According to police sources, four of the suspects – Shamsudeen Hassan, Abubakar Alkamu, Sani Sirajo and one other – were first arrested after investigators traced mobile phones stolen from the victims during the robbery.
During interrogation, Hassan confessed to having shot the security guard, Mr Danlami, when he attempted to resist their entry. Sirajo reportedly admitted that he tried to stop Ms Maduagwu from falling from the three-storey building, but was unable to support her weight. Hassan also confessed to taking the victims’ white Honda CR-V away after the operation.
The suspects revealed that they each received ₦200,000 as their share of the robbery proceeds.
The artifacts recovered include:
A manufactured AK-47 rifle
Thirty-six rounds of live 9mm ammunition
A locally made gun
A pump action gun
Two live cartridges
Four cell phones belonging to the victims
Two sharp knives
A sabre
Nine flashlights used during the operation
In a follow-up operation on 8 October 2025, acting on additional digital intelligence, police officers intercepted other members of the gang – including Musa Umar aka Small and Hassan Isah – while they were en route to a planned armed robbery in Maitama, Abuja.
All suspects reportedly confessed to the crimes. The FCT Police Command said investigations were ongoing, with intensified efforts to trace the remaining absconding gang members.
Photographs of the arrested suspects are being withheld pending the conclusion of ongoing operations.
The recovered exhibits and a video of one of the AK-47 rifles recovered at Zuma Rock were forwarded to the Command for forensic analysis.