Tributes, funeral dates set for late Arise News anchor Somtochukwu Maduagwu

ARISE News has released the burial arrangements for its late news anchor, correspondent, and producer, Somtochukwu Christelle Maduagwu.

The station made the announcement in a video broadcast on Saturday.

Maduagwu, aged 29, tragically lost her life during an armed robbery at her residence in Katampe, Abuja, on September 29, 2025. The incident also claimed the life of a security guard, Barnabas Danlami. The deceased was a lawyer, model, and journalist known for her dedication and professionalism.

According to the official schedule, an “Evening of Tributes” will take place on Sunday, October 12, 2025, at the THISDAY Dome, Central Business District, Abuja. A service of songs will follow on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at the Corpus Christi Cathedral, Kaduna Street, Port Harcourt.

Her interment is set for Saturday, October 18, 2025, in Anambra State, preceded by a funeral mass at St. Theresa Catholic Church, Agulu.

Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command has confirmed the arrest of 12 suspects connected to her murder.

Police spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, revealed that the gang obtained their weapons from an arms dealer in Niger Republic.

“Preliminary investigations showed 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,” Adeh stated.

She added that all suspects, who hail from Kaduna and Katsina States, confessed to sourcing their weapons from a supplier yet to be identified in the Niger Republic.

Adeh further explained that the Commissioner of Police, Ajao Adewale, deployed a special investigation team led by DCP Aliyu Abubakar and assisted by ACP Victor Godfrey to track and dismantle the criminal network responsible for the attack.