Trial of Alleged Killers of ARISE News Anchor, Maduagwu, Begins

*Two witnesses testify*HURIWA asks AGF to take over prosecution

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The trial of alleged killers of ARISE News Correspondent and Anchor, Somtochukwu Maduagwu, commenced on Tuesday, at a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, with the prosecution calling two witnesses against the defendants.

Somtochukwu alongside a security guard, Mr Barnabas Danladi lost their lives during a violent robbery that occurred on September 29, 2025, at Unique Apartments in Katampe Extension, Abuja.

Following the incidents, the Nigerian Police Force subsequently arrested some persons said to be responsible for the death of Somtochukwu and Danladi.

The 11 defendants were arraigned on January 21 on a nine count criminal charge bordering on alleged conspiracy, armed robbery, and murder.

Shortly after their arraignment and not guilty plea, trial judge, Justice Mohammed Idris, who ordered their remand at the Kuje Correctional Center, fixed February 9, 10 and 12, for trial.

However, when the matter was called on February 9, the defendants were not in court, with officials of the remand center claiming that they were not aware of trial date.

Responding, Justice Idris ordered that hearing notice be issued to the Kuje Correctional Services to ensure they produce the defendants in court the following day for trial, adding that the witnesses should also made themselves available the following day in the interest of justice.

When the matter was called on Tuesday, all the defendants were in court and the prosecution led by Adama Musa, indicated interest to proceed, and with the court’s permission called its first witness, Sani Yusuf, a resident of Unique Apartment.

Yusuf, led in evidence by Musa, relived the horrific events of the morning of September 29, 2025 before the court.

The 1st witness, a civil engineer, who concealed his identity with a nose mask and sun shade narrated how his apartments and others were raided by masked assailants shouting ‘Area’ while the plundering lasted.

According to Yusuf he was woken up by a loud noise, gun shots and “strange voices speaking hausa and huge bang on my door, they entered shouting ” where are you? come out”

He stated that after the armed men entered his bedroom, took his S25 Galaxy phone and Macbook Air laptop computer, he heard a scream of a female. “The scream stopped after about 15 minutes but before then I heard a lady screaming for help and noticed the security guard, Joshua saying his colleague had been shot”, he said.

He added that after the robbers had left, he came out of his apartment and “on my right I saw a body of a female lying face down in a pool of blood” he continued, “I came closer and assumed she was shot, at the time I couldn’t recognise her but could tell that she was dead.

“I ran towards Joshua and he had tied Barnabas gun shot wound. We got a neighbours car and took him to Maitama district hospital and went back to the house to check if anybody needed help.

“The body of the woman I saw earlier had been taken away by the police. I went back to the hospital at about 4am and saw the lady’s body I saw earlier but was face up this time and recognised she was my neighbour Somto Maduagwu with a serious trauma on her head and she was later confirmed dead”.

At the end of his testimony, counsel to the defendants however said he has no question for the witness.

The Prosecution lawyer then went ahead to call the second witness (PW2), Fatou Toborteh, who also concealed her identity just like the first witness.

She said, “Somto is my neighbour and Barnabas is a gate man and runs errands for us. On September 29 at about 3a.m I was in my flat at the said apartment with my aunt and children and heard screams and loud noises while in bed.

She disclosed that when the armed men forcefully entered into her apartment and responding to their demands she surrendered her phone, car keys, cash and wallet, which she later found at the entrance of the flat alongside her debit card on the floor after the robbers had left.

“He opened my bedside drawer and found N55,000 cash and took it then he left and went downstairs with my car keys CRV Toyota Honda. one of the robbers also entered my aunt’s bedroom and my 14-year old daughters room.

“They took a gold plated wristwatch, an IPhone 11 promax and a Samsung phone from my aunt, lap top and some cash from my daughter”, she said.

‎”There were screams and calls for help. None came. There was distress in the apartment block for what seemed like forever. Until there was silence after the assailants left.‎‎”It was afterwards that neighbours found Sommie laying face down in a pool of blood. And then there was scream for help by Joshua, a security guard, whose colleague, Barnabas Danlami, had been shot. Sommie and Barnabas were confirmed dead moments later at the Maitama District Hospital”, she added.‎Meanwhile, the two witnesses said they couldn’t identify any of the assailants as they had masks.‎Trail continues on February 12, with the prosecution calling additional witnesses.

Meanwhile, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has urged the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, to take over the prosecution to ensure swift, decisive, professional and excellent trial.

National Coordinator of the association, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, made the call on Tuesday, following the failure of trial to commence on Monday.

HURIWA said it is inexplicable and absolutely unacceptable that the prosecution team and the officials of the Correctional Service have caused undue delay of the matter which in the view of HURIWA is one of the top-most public interest matter, given the circumstances of the death of the journalist and the fact that millions of the viewers of ARISE News television were violently deprived of the creative presence of Miss. Maduagwu.

The association claimed that millions of Nigerians are interested in knowing how the government has handled the prosecution of the suspects, adding that, it will be a spectacular image problem for Nigeria should this show of shame by the Correctional Service officers continue.

“We in HURIWA think that if there is any legal matter in which the presence of the Honourable Federal Attorney General is needed urgently, then this case that the prosecution has already started to delay the hearing through avoidable technicality is that top priority public interest case. We are aware that the AGF has on some occasions in the recent times, taken over some cases from the respective prosecution teams and decided that his office would henceforth handle them.

“We urge Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, to take over the prosecution of the accused killers of the ARISE News journalist so that the Correctional Service officers wouldn’t have any further flimsy excuse not to produce the suspects before the court of law to face the long arm of the law. HURIWA warned that should the prosecution of these alleged killers of the ARISE News Journalist be mismanaged, then Nigerians would never trust the administration of criminal justice by the government”, Onwubiko stated.