A beloved Nigerian news anchor, Somtochukwu “Sommie” Maduagwu, 29, tragically died after leaping from the third floor of her apartment in a desperate attempt to escape an armed robbery, police and reports say.
Maduagwu, a reporter and producer at Arise News Channel, was found unconscious outside her three-story apartment in Abuja early Monday morning after thieves broke in and ransacked her home, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command confirmed.
She was rushed to a local hospital but later succumbed to her injuries.
A beloved Nigerian news anchor, Somtochukwu “Sommie” Maduagwu, 29, tragically died after leaping from the third floor of her apartment in a desperate attempt to escape an armed robbery, police and reports say.
Maduagwu, a reporter and producer at Arise News Channel, was found unconscious outside her three-story apartment in Abuja early Monday morning after thieves broke in and ransacked her home, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command confirmed.
She was rushed to a local hospital but later succumbed to her injuries.
Police said Maduagwu jumped from her third-story apartment in a desperate attempt to escape the violent intruders. “We remain in shock and call for a speedy investigation, apprehension, and prosecution of the culprits,” authorities said.
Federal Capital Territory Commissioner Ajao Adewale described the break-in as “cruel and senseless” and said an immediate investigation was launched, with intelligence and operational resources deployed to track and apprehend the armed assailants.
He told local media that police responded to Unique Apartments, a twin building with 18 units, where the attackers shot one of two security guards before specifically targeting Maduagwu’s apartment.
Maduagwu was found unconscious and rushed to a local hospital, where she later died.
“These were private guards, and one of them, who dared to intervene, was shot,” Commissioner Adewale said. “Under these conditions, panic was inevitable. Sommie lived on the topmost floor of the building, and in her fear, she jumped from the third story. The consequences are tragically what we are seeing. It’s so sad and unfortunate.”
As of Saturday, the suspects remain at large.
