Twelve suspected armed robbers have been apprehended by the FCT Police Command in connection with the attack at Unique Apartment in Gishiri village, Katampe District, Abuja, that killed security guard Barnabas Danlami and Arise News employee Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu.
The arrests were made by Scorpion Squad members under the command of ACP Victor Godfrey in response to effective digital and reconstructive information from Giga Forensics, an EIB Stratoc subsidiary.
Abubakar Alkamu alias Abba, 27, from Musawa LGA in Katsina State; Sani Sirajo alias Dan Borume, 20, from Malumfashi LGA in Katsina State; Mashkur Jamilu alias Abba, 28 from Igabi LGA in Kaduna State; Suleiman Badamasi alias Dan-Sule, 21 from Malumfashi LGA in Katsina State; and Shamsudeen Hassan from Malumfashi LGA in Katsina State.
Sumayya Mohammed, also known as Baby, 27, from Saminaka LGA in Kaduna State; Isah Abdulrahman, also known as Abbati, 25, from Zaria LGA in Kaduna State; Musa Adamu, also known as Musa Hassan, 30, from Malumfashi LGA in Katsina State; Zaharadeen Muhammad, also known as Gwaska, 23, from Chikun LGA in Kaduna State; and Musa Umar, also known as Small, 31, from Maiduguri LGA in Borno State.
According to the police, the gang broke into the condominium on September 29, 2025, at around 3:30 a.m.
One of the suspects, Shamsudeen Hassan, revealed during questioning that he had shot security guard Barnabas Danlami when he tried to hinder them from entering.
Sani Sirajo, another suspect, acknowledged that he attempted to prevent Somtochukwu Christella Maduagwu from jumping from the three-story structure, but he claimed that her weight hindered him from doing so.
Hassan further admitted that following the incident, he drove the white Honda CR-V out of the residence.
The suspects revealed that N200,000 from the crime’s dividends went to each of them.
A faux AK-47 rifle, 36 rounds of live firearm ammunition, one pump-action gun, one locally manufactured pistol, two live cartridges, four victim cell phones, two knives, a cutlass, and nine torch lights utilised in the operation were all found by the operatives.
According to police, four of the suspects Hassan, Alkamu, and Sirajo were captured through the tracking of stolen phones soon after the crime.
The remaining suspects were apprehended on October 8, 2025, while travelling to Maitama, Abuja, for another planned armed robbery operation, in response to more digital intelligence.
Investigations are currently underway to bring down other gang members who are on the run, and all suspects have confessed to the crimes.
