 Police Command has made a major breakthrough in the investigation into the gruesome killing){kind=link}
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has made a major breakthrough in the investigation into the gruesome killing of Arise News anchor, Somtochukwu Maduagwu, linking the crime to an arms trafficking network operating between Nigeria and the Niger Republic.
Police authorities said the deadly gang responsible for Maduagwu’s murder sourced their weapons from an illicit supplier across the border, exposing yet another dimension of the country’s battle against the influx of illegal firearms.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the FCT Police spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, a total of 12 suspects were arrested in connection with the September 29 attack at Unique Apartments, Katampe Extension, Abuja.
The incident claimed the lives of Maduagwu and a security guard, identified as Barnabas Danlami.
Adeh revealed that early findings showed the criminals obtained their weapons, including a locally made AK-47 rifle, a pump-action gun, and a pistol, from an arms dealer in the Niger Republic who is still on the run.
“All the suspects are from Kaduna and Katsina States. They admitted to purchasing their guns from a yet-to-be-identified arms supplier operating between Nigeria and Niger,” Adeh said.
AFRIPOST had reported yesterday that the arrested suspects were identified 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).
Police investigations further revealed that the gang had previously carried out several armed robbery operations in Katampe 1, a hotel in Apo, and another in Zuba, all within the FCT.
“The group confessed to being behind multiple attacks before the Katampe incident that led to the deaths of the journalist and the security guard,” the police spokesperson added.
Adeh disclosed that one of the suspects, Shamsudeen Hassan, fired the fatal shot that killed the security guard during the robbery, while others were involved in looting valuables and escaping the scene.
She explained that the FCT Commissioner of Police, Ajao Adewale, launched a manhunt immediately after the murder by setting up a Special Investigation Team led by DCP Aliyu Abubakar and assisted by ACP Victor Godfrey.
The unit, she said, relied on “digital reconstructive intelligence” and carried out coordinated operations across Abuja, Nasarawa, and Kaduna to capture the suspects.
“The Commissioner’s directive was clear, to dismantle the criminal network and bring every member to justice,” Adeh stated. “Their arrest shows that no crime in the FCT will go unpunished.”
The police have urged residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious movement through designated emergency hotlines.
Security analysts have long warned that Nigeria’s porous borders with Niger, Chad, and Cameroon make it easy for arms traffickers to smuggle weapons into the country, fueling violent crimes and insurgency.