Court remands 11 suspects over killing of ARISE journalist, security guard in Abuja

Eleven suspects have been remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja over the killing of ARISE News journalist Somtochukwu Maduagwu and security guard Barnabas Danlami during a violent robbery at the journalist’s residence in September last year.

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The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Jabi, Abuja, ordered their remand after the police arraigned them on nine counts, including criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, and murder.

Those arraigned include Shamsu Hassan, Sani Sirajo, Hassan Isah, Abubakar Alkamu, Abdulsalam Saleh, and Suleiman Badamasi.

The rest are Zaharadeen Mohammed, Musa Umar, Mashkur Jamil, Suleiman Sani, and Abubakar Usman.

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All defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges and were remanded at th Kuje Correctional Facility pending trial.

Josephine Adeh, the spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, said ina statement on Wednesday that the trial judge, Mohammed Idris, fixed 9, 10, and 12 February for trial.

Arrest

Ms Adeh said the suspects were arrested following investigations linking them to the robbery that led to the deaths of Ms Maduagwu, an anchor, reporter, and producer with ARISE News, and Mr Danlami, who was on duty at the Unique Apartments, Katampe Extension, Mabushi, Abuja, on 29 September 2025.

On the night of the attack, the armed assailants reportedly stormed the residential complex.

Ms Maduagwu attempted to escape by jumping from her apartment window after being confronted by the attackers but sustained fatal injuries.

Mr Danlami was shot dead while on duty.

The incident triggered widespread public outrage and raised concerns about security within residential estates in the FCT.

READ ALSO: How we nabbed suspected killers of Arise TV journalist, Somtochukwu Maduagwu- Police

In October 2025, the Nigerian police said the gang had sourced their weapons from a supplier in the Niger Republic. The arrests followed efforts by security agencies to track and apprehend all suspects involved.

A lawyer familiar with the case, Najib Adamu Usman, noted that in addition to the alleged killings, the suspects face charges of armed robbery involving other residents of the estate.

“The amended charges reflect a broader scope of criminal activity and the court’s decision to allocate three consecutive days for the hearing underscores a commitment to swift justice,” he wrote on X.