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Arise News anchor Somtochukwu Maduagwu: Witness Discloses How Police Rounded Up Assailants
This prompted an adjournment until Thursday, 23 April, for conclusion of the evidence-in-chief for the third prosecution witness and for cross-examination.
The trial of the eleven defendants linked to the murder of Arise News journalist and anchor Somtochukwu Maduagwu during a robbery at her apartment continued Tuesday with the third prosecution witness giving details of how arrests were made.
During proceedings at the High Court of the FCT sitting in Jabi, Maxwell Eje, an Assistant Superintendent of Police and member of the Scorpion Squad, CID-FCT Command, said that the arrest of the defendants began with Shamsu Hassan.
The police discovered, on 30 September 2025, that Hassan had fled to Zaria, Kaduna State after the robbery at Unique Apartments in Katampe a day earlier, during which Miss Maduagwu jumped to her death from her three-storey apartment.
ASP Eje informed the court that Shamsu Hassan admitted to the crime and agreed to cooperate with the authorities to disclose the hideout of others.
Hassan informed on Sani Surajo, who was receiving treatment at an unnamed hospital in Gosa, a suburb along the airport road in Abuja.
Surajo was shocked at the sight of the Scorpion Squad operatives at the hospital, the witness said.
He too agreed to cooperate and assist with useful information on the whereabouts of others who took part in the robbery.
The witness testimony of ASP Maxwell Eje did not reach cross-examination as Dennis Abu, counsel for the seventh to eleventh defendants—who also held brief for counsel to the first and third defendants—sought leave of the judge, Mohammed Idris, to attend a medical appointment.
This prompted an adjournment until Thursday, 23 April, for conclusion of the evidence-in-chief for the third prosecution witness and for cross-examination.
The prosecutor had earlier informed the court that he had two witnesses available at the start of Tuesday’s proceedings.
The FCT Police Commissioner instituted the lawsuit against the 11 defendants charged with conspiracy, armed robbery, and murder in connection with the 29 September 2025 armed robbery at Unique Apartments in Katampe, Abuja, during which Arise News anchor/journalist Somtochukwu “Sommie” Maduagwu and security guard Barnabas Danlami were killed.
The trial began on 10 February 2026 after earlier delays due to the absence of defendants or other issues.
The first prosecution witness, Sani Yusuf, a civil engineer and former resident of Unique Apartments, and the second, Fatou Toborteh, another former resident, have so far testified about the events of 29 September.
Both described masked armed assailants raiding apartments but stated they could not identify any of the 11 defendants (who were masked during the attack).
The defendants are Shamsu Hassan, Sani Surajo, Hassan Isah, Abubakar Alkamu, Abdulsalam Saleh, and Suleiman Badamosi.
Others are Zaradeen Mohammed, Musa Umar ‘Aka’ Small, Mashikur Jamil, Suleiman Sani, and Abubakar Usman.
News
UK court jails Nigerian man for masturbating in front of a woman
British Transport Police said Odutola approached a woman on the train, looked her up and down and became aggressive when she refused to engage with him. He then exposed himself while sitting in a wheelchair and began masturbating while staring at the woman and telling her to “come over”
•A Nigerian man and registered sex offender, Babatunde Odutola
A Nigerian man and registered sex offender, Babatunde Odutola has been jailed in the UK after exposing himself and masturbating in front of a woman on a train travelling towards Manchester.
Odutola, 36, of no fixed address, was sentenced to 44 weeks in prison at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on Monday, September 14, after pleading guilty to outraging public decency and breaching a suspended sentence order.
The incident occurred around 7pm on Friday, September 11, on a train travelling through Cheshire towards Manchester Piccadilly railway station.
British Transport Police said Odutola approached a woman on the train, looked her up and down and became aggressive when she refused to engage with him. He then exposed himself while sitting in a wheelchair and began masturbating while staring at the woman and telling her to “come over”.
A fellow passenger intervened and escorted the distressed woman from the carriage.
According to police, CCTV footage showed Odutola continued masturbating as other passengers walked through the carriage.
British Transport Police officers arrested him after the train arrived at Manchester Piccadilly. He was subsequently prosecuted and jailed within 72 hours of the incident
News
Digital Economy Minister Says NDPC Now Properly Functional With New HQ
” An asset recovered on behalf of the Nigerian people has now been returned to productive use for the Nigerian people. That is reform made tangible,” he said .
Abuja| NDPC new headquarters commission , Tuesday, 15 September,2026.
An EFCC-recovered property allocated to the Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, has been transformed to the new headquarters of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) in Abuja, as its headquarters.
Speaking during the commissioned ceremony of the building, the Honourable Minister incharge of the ministry, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, described the facility as a tangible demonstration of the visionary leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his commitment to building strong institutions that can support Nigeria’s growing digital economy.
The Minister emphasised that said the occasion represented more than the opening of a new office, but a reflection of the administration’s commitment to strengthening the institutions required to protect Nigerians and build trust in the country’s digital economy.
Dr. Tijani said, “Shortly after assuming office in 2023, President Tinubu signed the Nigeria Data Protection Act into law, giving the NDPC the appropriate legal foundation and authority to protect the data and privacy rights of Nigerians.
The President also directed Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government to comply with established data protection laws and frameworks, demonstrating that government must lead by example in upholding the standards it expects from citizens and businesses.”
He added, “In the early days of the Commission, it was difficult to ask an institution to protect the data of over 200 million Nigerians and support one of Africa’s largest digital economies without the institutional resources to do so.
President Tinubu recognised this challenge and moved to solve it, approving the resources required for the NDPC to become properly operational and functional, while building towards becoming a sustainable institution in its own right.
He also directed that an EFCC-recovered property be allocated to the Commission as its headquarters.
“An asset recovered on behalf of the Nigerian people has now been returned to productive use for the Nigerian people. That is reform made tangible,” he said .
News
Boko Haram Denies Ceasefire with FG, Vows Continued Attacks
Boko Haram has strongly denied reports of a ceasefire agreement with the Federal Government and insisted that it will continue its campaign of attacks.
In a statement released by the group, the militants dismissed claims of any truce or negotiated pause in hostilities, describing such reports as false and misleading.
The group reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing operations against government forces and other targets, vowing that its attacks will persist without interruption.
The denial comes against the backdrop of persistent insecurity in the northeast and other affected regions, where the group has maintained a long-standing insurgency.
Security sources note that the latest statement appears aimed at clarifying the group’s position and rejecting any suggestion of dialogue or de-escalation with the authorities.
Military and government officials have not issued an immediate detailed response to the claim, though security operations against the militants remain active. Authorities continue to urge vigilance as the group signals its intention to sustain violence.
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