Dare Babalola
Two prosecution witnesses testified in the trial of 11 suspects charged with robbery and murder of Arise Television journalist Somtochukwu Maduagwu, failing to identify any of the defendants.
The witnesses, Sani Yusuf and a female resident, gave their testimonies before an FCT High Court on Tuesday.
Maduagwu, 29, died on September 29, 2025, after jumping from a three-storey building during an armed robbery at her Katampe apartment.
Giving his testimony, Yusuf said he was asleep when he heard voices shouting in Hausa and loud banging noises, including gunshots, around 3:00 a.m. on September 29, 2025.
“I was asleep when I heard some noise around 2:30 a.m. I then heard voices and a loud bang that sounded like a gunshot. I also heard someone speaking Hausa, shouting, ‘Where are you? Come out!” he said.
Yusuf told the court he saw two masked men ransack his apartment, taking his Samsung Galaxy S25 phone and MacBook Air laptop. He later discovered the body of a female tenant, Somtochukwu Maduagwu, lying face down in a pool of blood.
The second witness, a female resident, said she was asleep with her aunt and children when robbers forced their way in, demanding phones and money.
“I pointed to my phone on the floor. He searched my drawer and found my wallet and car key. Later, I found my wallet at the entrance with my debit card on the floor,” she said.
She added that the robbers took her gold-plated wristwatch, iPhone 11 Pro Max, Samsung phone, and N75,000 in cash. The robbers also stole her cousin’s laptop and cash, and drove away in her white Honda CR-V.
The trial judge adjourned the matter until February 12, 2026, for continuation of trial.
