By Vivian Okejeme
The third prosecution witness, in the trial of the eleven defendants linked to the murder of Arise News journalist and anchor Somtochukwu Maduagwu during a robbery at her apartment, Tuesday, gave details of how arrests were made.
.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
At the resumed proceeding, Tuesday, the witness, Maxwell Eje told the High Court of the FCT sitting in Jabi, that arrest of the defendants began with Shamsu Hassan.
Testifying, the Assistant Superintendent of Police and a member of the Scorpion Squad, CID-FCT Command, said Police discovered on 30 September that Hassan had fled to Zaria 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 mentioned Sani Surajo who was receiving treatment at an unnamed hospital in Gosa, a suburb along the airport road in Abuja.
In his evidence in chief, he told the court that Surajo was shocked at the sight of the security operatives of the Scorpion Squad at the hospital where he was receiving treatment, the witness said.
He said the Surajo also agreed to cooperate and assist with useful information on the whereabouts of others who took part in the robbery.
At this juncture, Dennis Abu, counsel for the seventh to eleventh defendant who also held brief for counsel to the first and third defendants had sought leave of the judge, Mohammed Idris, to meet a medical appointment.
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On his instance, the court adjourned till Thursday 23 April for conclusion of the evidence in chief for the third prosecution witness and for cross examination.
The FCT Police Commissioner is prosecuting the 11 defendants on conspiracy, armed robbery, and murder charges in connection with the September 29, 2025, armed robbery at Unique Apartments in Katampe, Abuja. It was then that Arise News anchor/journalist Somtochukwu “Sommie” Maduagwu and security guard Barnabas Danlami were killed.
The first prosecution witness, Sani Yusuf, a civil engineer, a former resident of Unique Apartments, and the second, Fatou Toborteh, another former resident, have so far testified about the events of September 29.
Both described masked armed assailants raiding apartments but stated they could not identify any of the 11 defendants (who were masked during the attack).
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