By Jane Okafor, Abuja
The trial of 11 defendants accused of murdering Arise News anchor, Somtochukwu “Sommie” Maduagwu, resumed on Tuesday at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Jabi, with fresh testimony detailing how the suspects were tracked and apprehended.
A prosecution witness, Maxwell Eje, an Assistant Superintendent of Police attached to the Scorpion Squad of the CID, FCT Command, told the court that investigations led to the arrest of the first defendant, Shamsu Hassan, who allegedly fled to Zaria after the September 29, 2025 robbery at Unique Apartments in Katampe, Abuja.
Eje said Hassan was arrested on September 30 and subsequently confessed to involvement in the crime, providing information that led to the capture of other suspects.
According to the witness, Hassan identified Sani Surajo as one of the accomplices, prompting operatives to trace him to a hospital in Gosa, along Airport Road, Abuja, where he was receiving treatment.
“Within a short time, our commander called us to say that they had arrested Shamsu, and he confessed to them that one of the suspects was at Gosa receiving treatment, as he was wounded in an accident,” Eje told the court.
He added that Surajo was initially startled upon seeing the operatives but later cooperated with investigators, offering further details that helped in tracking other members of the group.
Proceedings were, however, stalled before cross-examination as defence counsel, Dennis Abu—representing the seventh to eleventh defendants and holding brief for the first and third defendants—requested permission to attend a medical appointment.
Justice Mohammed Idris subsequently adjourned the case until April 23, 2026, for continuation of the witness’s evidence-in-chief and cross-examination. The prosecution had earlier indicated readiness to present two witnesses at the hearing.
The FCT Commissioner of Police filed charges against the defendants, including conspiracy, armed robbery, and murder, following the attack during which Maduagwu and a security guard, Barnabas Danlami, were killed.
The trial, which began on February 10, 2026, after initial delays, has also featured testimonies from two former residents of the estate. They recounted how masked gunmen carried out the attack but said they could not identify any of the defendants.
