The Nigeria Police have uncovered a shocking international link in the brutal killing of ARISE News anchor, Somtochukwu Maduagwu, revealing that the weapons used in the Abuja attack came from Niger Republic.
Police spokesperson SP Josephine Adeh confirmed that 12 suspects have been arrested over the September 29 robbery and murder at Unique Apartments, Katampe Extension, Abuja.
“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,” Adeh said.
During the midnight attack, security guard Barnabas Danlami was shot dead, while Maduagwu fell to her death after jumping from her apartment window in a desperate escape attempt.
The gang’s arsenal reportedly included a locally made AK-47 rifle, pump-action gun, and pistol — all sourced from the border corridor.
Police named the suspects as: 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).
“They have also confessed to participating in other armed robbery operations at Katampe 1, a hotel in Apo, and another in Zuba, all within the FCT,” Adeh revealed.
Police investigations confirmed that Shamsudeen Hassan fired the fatal shot that killed the guard.
Following the gruesome incident, FCT Commissioner of Police Ajao Adewale deployed a Special Investigation Team led by DCP Aliyu Abubakar and assisted by ACP Victor Godfrey, which used digital intelligence and coordinated raids across Abuja, Nasarawa, and Kaduna to track down the suspects.
Nigeria has long struggled with an influx of illicit arms from Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. In 2016, the United Nations estimated that about 350 million of the 500 million illegal weapons in West Africa were circulating in Nigeria alone.
Police have urged Abuja residents to stay alert and report suspicious activities through emergency hotlines.
