Colleagues of late ARISE News correspondent, Somtochukwu Maduagwu, have broken their silence, accusing a hospital of negligence that cost the 29-year-old her life after she narrowly escaped a robbery attack.
During Tuesday’s edition of The Morning Show, anchors Ojy Okpe and Dr Reuben Abati recounted how Maduagwu’s life could have been saved but was instead cut short by a system they described as ‘callous and unethical.’
Okpe, narrating the tragic sequence, said the journalist had jumped from her Abuja apartment when she realised 14 armed robbers had stormed the building. Though badly injured from the fall, she survived and was rushed to the Maitama District General Hospital.
‘She did not die on the spot,’ Okpe stressed. ‘She was taken to the hospital, but she was rejected. This really is a tragic incident. Sommie’s life could have been saved, but the hospital refused to treat her.’
Reports said Maduagwu and an aged security guard, who was also injured, were both turned away because hospital staff allegedly demanded identification before treatment. They later died.
Abati condemned the hospital’s actions, calling it a betrayal of medical ethics and a violation of the law.
‘Anybody who is a victim of an accident should be treated immediately,’ he said. ‘But those who were taken to the hospital were refused treatment because staff were looking for identification. It is the duty of doctors and nurses to save lives. Lives could have been saved.’
The anchors described the incident as a national disgrace, adding that it reflects the risks journalists face in Nigeria.
‘This job that we do is very dangerous,’ Abati said. ‘It is unfortunate that a young woman has fallen.’
Maduagwu’s final post on X from August – ‘I pray from the depth of my heart that Nigeria never happens to me or anyone I care about’ – has since resurfaced online, sparking an outpour of grief and anger.
The FCT Police Command confirmed that investigations are ongoing into the robbery and circumstances of her death.
Maduagwu, a lawyer and former beauty queen, joined ARISE in 2024 and was celebrated for her advocacy for out-of-school children and her fight against gender-based violence.