By Obinna Uballa
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command announced on Wednesday that it has launched a manhunt for armed robbers behind the tragic death of Arise News correspondent, Somtochukwu ‘Sommie’ Maduagwu, even as President Bola Tinubu, Niger State Governor Umaru Bago, and several prominent Nigerians mourned her passing.
Maduagwu, 29, died on Monday night after jumping from the top floor of her apartment in Katampe, Abuja, during a robbery attack. Police Commissioner Ajao Adewale said officers found her unconscious at the scene and rushed her to Maitama General Hospital, where doctors attempted to resuscitate her, but she was pronounced dead.
“Some unknown armed robbers gained access into Unique Apartments, where Sommie lived. Two private security guards were on duty. One of them, who had the courage to challenge the robbers, sustained a gunshot injury,” Adewale explained during an interview on Arise TV on Wednesday. “In the panic that followed, Sommie, who lived on the top floor, jumped down from the third storey. The consequences were tragic and very unfortunate.”
The commissioner said an investigation team, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Investigation), had been set up to track down the attackers. “No stone will be left unturned until the perpetrators are brought to justice,” he assured.
Her colleagues at Arise News, however, described the death as “preventable,” alleging that she was denied treatment when taken to the hospital. On Tuesday’s edition of The Morning Show, anchors Ojy Okpe and Reuben Abati expressed outrage, with Okpe insisting: “She did not die on the spot. She was taken to the hospital, but she was rejected. Sommie’s life could have been saved, but the hospital refused to treat her.”
The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and several journalists have also condemned the incident, citing both rising insecurity and alleged negligence by emergency medical staff.
President Tinubu, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga on Tuesday, described Maduagwu as “a promising professional whose life was cut short in a cruel and condemnable manner.”
He extended condolences to her family, the Arise News team, and the wider media community, while directing security agencies to conduct a “quick and thorough investigation” into the incident.
Governor Umaru Bago of Niger State, in a condolence message issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, decried the killing as “an act of man’s wickedness to man.” He lamented that the life of a young professional, also a lawyer and entrepreneur, was cut short so abruptly, and called on security agencies to bring her killers to justice.
The tragedy has since sparked nationwide outrage, with many Nigerians taking to social media to demand improved security and better emergency response systems in the capital.
Peter Obi, former Anambra State governor and Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election also expressed deep sorrow over the death of Maduagwu, describing her passing as both a personal tragedy and a national loss.
Obi, in a condolence message on Monday said the 29-year-old journalist, lawyer, and entrepreneur was killed “in the most painful circumstances” during a robbery attack in Abuja.
He praised Maduagwu as “a brilliant young anchor” who had already distinguished herself as a gifted broadcaster, noting that her death was not only a blow to her family and colleagues but also to Nigeria’s journalism and society at large.
“At only 29, Somtochukwu had already distinguished herself as a gifted broadcaster and trained lawyer whose voice engaged, informed, and inspired many. Her loss is not only a personal tragedy to her family and colleagues but also a huge blow to journalism and to our nation, which continues to lose its brightest to insecurity and violence,” Obi said.
