The ARISE TV journalist Somtochukwu Maduagwu and security guard Barnabas Danlami were killed during an alleged armed robbery at an apartment complex in Katampe, Abuja, on September 29, 2025. ASP Maxwell Eje, testifying as a prosecution witness, described how police apprehended suspects linked to the attack. He stated that the second defendant, Sani Sirajo, led officers to a bush in Dei Dei, Kubwa, where he contacted alleged gang members, including the fourth defendant, Abubakar Alkamu, and the third defendant, Hassan Isah. Police officers disguised themselves at night, carrying recovered weapons to avoid suspicion, and moved in swiftly to apprehend the suspects.
Officers recovered a long knife, a dagger, and a cutlass believed to have been intended for use in a robbery that night. According to ASP Eje, suspects made calls to other gang members, leading to further arrests. The eighth defendant, Musa Umar, alias 'Small', was lured to the scene and arrested, with a dagger recovered from him. The same tactic led to the capture of the remaining defendants. At the police station, statements were recorded voluntarily under caution. ASP Eje said he recorded statements in English for defendants who could not write, including Hassan Isah and Zaharadeen Mohammed, after they declined to contact family or legal aid.
The statements were read back multiple times in English and confirmed by the suspects in the presence of officers. The process was video recorded and later transferred to a flash drive. Recovered firearms were sent for registration. Prosecutor Adamu Musa requested an adjournment to present the statements and weapons as evidence. The court adjourned proceedings to June 16 and 18, 2025, for continuation.
Sani Sirajo led police to his gang's hideout yet faced the same arrest process as others, raising questions about how he became a guide rather than a protected source. The suspects confirmed statements in English despite claims they could not write, creating a contradiction in their recorded capabilities. Hassan Isah and Zaharadeen Mohammed were among those who supposedly understood English well enough for legal proceedings but not for written communication. This inconsistency directly affects the credibility of the evidence presented against them.
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