Sommie Maduagwu: Police Witness Details Arrest of Suspects in Murder Trial

The trial of eleven defendants accused in the killing of Arise News journalist and anchor, Somtochukwu “Sommie” Maduagwu, resumed on Tuesday with fresh testimony on how the suspects were tracked and arrested.

Testifying before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Jabi, the third prosecution witness, Maxwell Eje, an Assistant Superintendent of Police attached to the Scorpion Squad of the CID, FCT Command, narrated how the investigation unfolded.

Eje told the court that the arrests began with one of the suspects, Shamsu Hassan, who was traced to Zaria in Kaduna State after fleeing Abuja following the September 29, 2025 robbery at Unique Apartments in Katampe.

According to the witness, Hassan later confessed to involvement in the crime and agreed to cooperate with investigators, providing information that led to the arrest of other suspects.

He said Hassan identified Sani Surajo as one of the accomplices, adding that Surajo was subsequently located at a hospital in Gosa, along the Airport Road in Abuja, where he was receiving treatment.

The witness noted that Surajo appeared startled when police operatives arrived at the hospital but eventually agreed to assist investigators by giving further information on other members of the gang.

Proceedings were, however, stalled before cross-examination could begin, as defence counsel Dennis Abu representing the seventh to eleventh defendants and holding brief for the first and third defendants sought the court’s permission to attend a medical appointment.

Justice Mohammed Idris granted the request and adjourned the matter until Thursday, April 23, for continuation of the prosecution’s case and cross-examination of the witness.

Earlier, the prosecution had indicated readiness to call two witnesses at the session.

The case, instituted by the FCT Police Command, involves charges of conspiracy, armed robbery, and murder against the defendants in connection with the fatal robbery incident at Unique Apartments.

During the attack, Maduagwu and a security guard, Barnabas Danlami, lost their lives.

The trial, which commenced on February 10, 2026, had faced initial delays due to logistical challenges, including the absence of some defendants.

Two earlier witnesses, a civil engineer, Sani Yusuf, and another resident, Fatou Toborteh had testified about the events of the night, recounting how masked gunmen invaded the premises. However, both witnesses told the court they were unable to identify any of the accused persons.

Those standing trial include Shamsu Hassan, Sani Surajo, Hassan Isah, Abubakar Alkamu, Abdulsalam Saleh, Suleiman Badamosi, Zaradeen Mohammed, Musa Umar (also known as “Small”), Mashikur Jamil, Suleiman Sani, and Abubakar Usman.