The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory,FCT, Nyesom Wike, has vowed that those behind the killing of Arise News anchor, Somtochukwu Christelle Maduagwu, will be tracked down and brought to justice.
Wike, in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and social media, Lere Olayinka, on Tuesday, described the tragic death of the 29-year-old journalist as a painful loss to her family, colleagues, the media industry, and the entire nation.
“I feel pained that such a wonderful soul could be cut down in her prime. It is sad,” Wike lamented, adding that the government will ensure the police unravel the circumstances of her death and prosecute those responsible.
The minister, who commiserated with the management and staff of Arise News, extended heartfelt condolences to the station’s Chairman, Nduka Obaigbena, and to Maduagwu’s family and friends. He prayed for strength and comfort for them during what he described as a period of “irreparable loss.”
Wike disclosed that, from the report submitted by the Federal Capital Territory Administration’s Mandate Secretary on Health, Dr Dolapo Fasawe, the journalist was brought to the Maitama General Hospital dead at about 4:30 a.m. on Monday.
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He explained that preliminary medical findings would be handed over to the police to aid ongoing investigations.
Her killing has sparked outrage within media and civil society circles. The Nigeria Police FCT Command has condemned the incident, describing it as “cruel and senseless,” and pledged to intensify efforts to apprehend the culprits.
Reports suggest that she was a victim of an armed robbery at her residence in Katampe, Abuja, but details remain sketchy as investigations continue.
The Nigeria Union of Journalists has also demanded justice, urging the authorities to ensure that those behind the attack are punished.
Questions have further been raised over Nigeria’s health emergency system, with unconfirmed allegations of hospital negligence surfacing after the incident.
Wike urged Nigerians to keep the late journalist’s family and colleagues in their prayers, assuring that her killers would not go unpunished.
Crediblenewsng.com
