The trial of 11 individuals accused of murdering Arise News anchor Somtochukwu Sommie Maduagwu resumed on Tuesday at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Jabi. During the hearing, a prosecution witness detailed the process by which investigators tracked and arrested the suspects.
The third prosecution witness, Assistant Superintendent of Police Maxwell Eje of the Scorpion Squad, FCT CID, testified that their investigation led to the apprehension of the first defendant, Shamsu Hassan. Hassan, who allegedly fled to Zaria after the September 29, 2025, robbery at Unique Apartments in Katampe, Abuja, was arrested on September 30. Eje stated that Hassan confessed to his involvement in the crime and provided information that facilitated the arrest of additional suspects.
Eje further testified that Hassan identified Sani Surajo as an accomplice. Acting on this information, police tracked Surajo to a hospital in Gosa, along Airport Road, Abuja, where he was receiving treatment for injuries sustained in an accident. According to Eje, Surajo was caught off guard when confronted by officers but later decided to cooperate with the investigation and disclosed details about other members of the group.
The proceedings were interrupted before cross-examination could begin when defence counsel Dennis Abu, representing the seventh to eleventh defendants and holding a brief for the first and third defendants, requested leave of the court to attend a medical appointment. Justice Mohammed Idris adjourned the trial to April 23, 2026, when the witness’s evidence-in-chief and cross-examination are expected to continue.
Earlier, the prosecution had indicated its intention to call two witnesses at the hearing. The FCT Commissioner of Police brought charges against the defendants relating to conspiracy, armed robbery, and murder, following the robbery in which Maduagwu and a security guard, Barnabas Danlami, lost their lives.
The trial, which began on February 10, 2026, after initial delays, has included testimony from two former residents of the estate. They described how masked gunmen carried out the attack but reported being unable to identify any of the defendants.
