More details have emerged on the death of ARISE News Channel’s anchor and producer, Somtochukwu Christelle Maduagwu, who lost her life during an armed robbery incident at her residence located at Katampe area of Abuja.
LEADERSHIP reports that according to her employers, the incident occurred around 3am on Monday, September 29, when about 15 armed men stormed Unique Apartments, a 16-flat four-storey building in the Katampe area of the capital city.
According to ARISE News, security personnel at the premises said the police were alerted while the robbery was ongoing but there was no response. One of the guards was injured in the attack. Both the guard and Somtochukwu Maduagwu, popularly known as Sommie, were rushed to Maitama District Hospital, where they later died.
Relatives alleged that hospital staff initially declined to administer treatment because no identification documents were presented, a delay they believed contributed to their death.
On Tuesday, ARISE News aired a special programme titled ‘Sommie Maduagwu: A Life Cut Short’, during which her colleagues paid emotional tributes.
Also, speaking on ‘The Morning Show’ segment, presenter Ojinika Okpe said Maduagwu had jumped from her apartment, desperately attempting to escape the intruders.
“She jumped down from her home when she heard about 14 armed robbers came to her home. She did not die on the spot. She went to the hospital, and she was rejected. Her life could have been saved, but the hospital rejected her,” Okpe said.
Former presidential spokesperson and co-anchor of ‘The Morning Show’, Reuben Abati, called for a thorough investigation into the role of medical staff at Maitama District Hospital, while urging security agencies to probe all circumstances surrounding the robbery.
Miss Somtochukwu Maduagwu, born on December 26, 1995, was also a trained lawyer and a Beauty Queen before venturing into broadcast journalism.
