Robber pushed ARISE News journalist Somtochukwu Maduagwu to her death, witness tells court

A police investigator has told an Abuja court that ARISE News journalist Somtochukwu Christelle Maduagwu was pushed from a building by a robber during a September 2025 attack.

According to SaharaReporters, Assistant Superintendent of Police Douglas Ishaku testified on Tuesday before Justice Mohammed Idris at the FCT High Court in Jabi.

“We found out that one of the occupants was pushed down from a two-storey building by one of the defendants, and the security guard was killed,” Ishaku testified.

His account differs from an earlier police statement that Maduagwu jumped from the building while attempting to escape the armed robbers.

Ishaku said the 11 defendants were members of a larger criminal syndicate operating in Abuja. He alleged that first defendant Shamsu Hassan shot security guard Barnabas Danlami with a locally fabricated AK-47 rifle.

The defendants face nine counts bordering on criminal conspiracy, armed robbery and culpable homicide. They have pleaded not guilty.

Justice Idris adjourned the trial until October 7 for continuation of proceedings.