How Arise News anchor’s Murder Suspects Got Arms

The Federal Capital Territory Police Command says the armed robbery gang responsible for the killing of ARISE News anchor, Somtochukwu Maduagwu, sourced their weapons from a supplier in the Niger Republic.

This was contained in a statement by the Command’s spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, on Friday.

According to her, preliminary investigations revealed that the syndicate procured its firearms — including a locally fabricated AK-47 rifle, a pump-action gun, and a pistol — from an arms dealer operating across the Nigeria–Niger border.

“All the suspects are from Kaduna and Katsina States and have confessed to obtaining their weapons from a yet-to-be-identified supplier in the Niger Republic,” Adeh said.

The police listed the arrested suspects as Shamsudeen Hassan, Hassan Isah (22), Abubakar Alkamu (27), Sani Sirajo (20), Mashkur Jamilu (28), Suleiman Badamasi (21), Abdulsalam Saleh, Zaharadeen Muhammad (23), Musa Adamu (30), Sumayya Mohammed (27), Isah Abdulrahman (25), and Musa Umar (31).

The police spokesperson further explained that the suspects confessed to carrying out operations at Katampe 1, a hotel in Apo and Zuba, before the robbery that claimed the lives of Arise News anchor and the security guard.

“They have also confessed to participating in other armed robbery operations at Katampe 1, a hotel in Apo, and another in Zuba, all within the FCT, ” the statement added.

Adeh said further investigations confirmed that Hassan Shamsudeen fired the shot that killed the security guard during the attack.