The tragic death of Somtochukwu Maduagwu, a 29-year-old lawyer and news anchor with Arise TV, during a robbery at her residence in Unique Estate, Katampe, has cast a harsh spotlight on the deteriorating security situation in Abuja.
Maduagwu succumbed to injuries sustained after armed robbers invaded the block of six flats where she lived in the early hours of Monday, 29 September. According to Ajao Adewale, the FCT Police Commissioner, she lost her life while attempting to escape the intruders by jumping from the balcony of her top-floor apartment in the three-story building.
The attack also left one of the two private security guards wounded by gunfire, further underscoring the brutality of the incident. This disturbing event has drawn renewed attention to Nigeria’s growing insecurity, especially within the nation’s capital.
When BusinessDay visited Unique Apartments in the Gishiri/Katampe area of Abuja-a complex of six flats-one resident, Chukunguike, who lives on the top floor of Block B7, shared his harrowing experience during the incident.
‘I woke up around 2 a.m. and was working on my laptop when I heard a woman scream for help,’ he recounted. ‘Moments later, there was a loud noise, which I suspected could have been a gunshot.’
At first, he locked his doors, assuming the disturbance was coming from elsewhere. But soon after, he heard footsteps and movement around the estate, which comprises two blocks. ‘The noise started in the first block where the victim lived and moved closer. At that hour, it’s unusual to hear such activity, so I knew something was wrong.’
Chukunguike and his cousin went into hiding after seeing intruders entering through the window. Eventually, the robbers broke into their rooms, took their phones, demanded passwords, but left without harming them. He could not confirm the exact circumstances of Maduagwu’s death but heard she fell from her balcony.
Residents of Katampe and neighboring communities described their neighborhoods as being under siege, plagued by frequent armed robbery attacks over the years. Despite numerous appeals for help, many say the police response has been inadequate or entirely absent.
A resident who spoke anonymously said, ‘Recently, two houses on the same street where the presenter died were robbed, along with other locations around here.’ Another resident, Musa, recounted his ordeal during a robbery at his boss’s house on the same street, where expensive property was stolen while his boss was away.
Fatima, another Katampe resident, expressed fear, saying, ‘I’m losing my sanity. We can’t sleep at night due to these armed attacks. It’s worse during power outages or rain, and no one is being arrested. The police seem incapacitated or unwilling to act.’
The pattern is similar in surrounding areas like Mpape, Gishiri, and Apo Resettlement-communities close to Nigeria’s seat of government yet living in fear as criminals operate with impunity.
In some communities, residents have organised vigilante groups to fill the security vacuum. However, their success has been mixed. While vigilantes in Gishiri have made some arrests, in other areas, their presence has sometimes worsened disorder.
Josephine Adeh, spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, denied reports of ongoing robberies in these communities, questioning the communication between residents and security agencies.
FCT Police Commissioner, Ajao Adewale, also said that intelligence and operational assets are being deployed to address the security challenges. Still, many residents remain unsettled, with some temporarily relocating. One resident lamented, ‘This place is supposed to be secure, but insecurity is no longer confined to one location-it can happen anywhere in Abuja.’
Residents also complain of understaffed and ill-equipped police posts. A trader in Gishiri said, ‘We have only one police post with two or three officers who don’t even have rifles. We rely on Mabushi Police Station, but even they don’t respond adequately.’
Musa, a security guard at the unique apartments revealed that when the police were called during the robbery at his boss’s home, they cited lack of fuel for their vehicle and did not respond. Vigilante groups, he noted, sometimes catch criminals only to see them released by the police.
BusinessDay had published stories on rising insecurity in Abuja, including in Grow Homes Estate, located in Kubwa area, were residents were held hostage for over an hour between midnight and 1:30 a.m. by a group of heavily armed kidnappers who invaded the estate and abducted some residents.
A BusinessDay staff member also recounted how his own street, located in the Durumi area was targeted by robbers for five straight days, during which the intruders dismantled and stole his solar inverter and batteries.
Kabiru Adamu, a security analyst and Managing Director (CEO) of Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited has raised concerns over the increasing insecurity in the nation’s capital, calling for reforms and investment in public safety infrastructure. His comments follow an incident in Bwari where a man was reportedly killed and his three children abducted.
In an interview with BusinessDay, Adamu criticized the authorities for failing to address the growing security challenges in Abuja and surrounding areas. ‘Abuja is not secure,’ he said. ‘Anyone who wants to carry out an attack can do so and get away with it.’
He cited recent incidents, including the killing of a security guard and the abduction of a journalist’s children, as evidence of structural weaknesses in the FCT’s security framework.
Adamu faulted the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) for not adopting the national emergency numbers like 112 and 199. ‘They use an 11-digit number that even they can’t memorize. What about a woman in the market?’ he asked.
He stressed that an effective public safety system must be built on three key elements: people, systems, and technology. He also highlighted the lack of coordinated security across the FCT’s six area councils and poor emergency response in rural areas. ‘In some areas like Kwali, it can take two to three hours for security to respond to incidents,’ he said.
Adamu pointed to geographic challenges, especially in areas like Katampe Extension, which are surrounded by mountainous terrain. These areas, he noted, connect to states such as Niger, Kaduna, and Kogi, which have high levels of criminal activity. ‘These routes make it easy for criminals to enter and leave the FCT without detection,’ he said.
He urged the FCTA and the Minister of the FCT to coordinate ongoing efforts into a single, functional system capable of deterring and responding to threats. ‘Security has six components, and they must be built on people, systems, and technology,’ he said.
Referring to the recent death of a security staff member and repeated robbery incidents in Katampe, Adamu said residents had reported these to the police, but little had been done. ‘This is not just the police’s responsibility. All security agencies must work together under FCTA coordination,’ he added.
He noted that while the attack on a journalist’s family gained attention due to the victim’s profession, similar incidents happen regularly without coverage or official response.
Eze Onyekpere, Executive Director of the Centre for Social Justice, has raised concerns over growing insecurity in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), saying recent criminal incidents reflect broader weaknesses in Nigeria’s security system.
Onyekpere was responding to reports of a man killed in Bwari with his children abducted, along with robberies at hotels in Gwarinpa and Dutse.
‘This shows the security situation in Nigeria is worsening. We’re not even talking about insurgency or terrorism – these are basic armed robberies,’ he said. ‘We assumed armed robbery was declining, but it reappears whenever there’s an opportunity.’
He attributed the persistence of such crimes to weak deterrence and enforcement. ‘These crimes happen because people believe they can commit them without consequences. If there were functioning CCTV systems and suspects were arrested and punished, others would think twice,’ Onyekpere stated.
He referred to a failed CCTV project in Abuja, financed by a Chinese loan during the Jonathan administration, which he said was mismanaged and left incomplete. ‘The money was misused. Nothing was installed, and we’re now seeing the consequences,’ he added.
Onyekpere stressed that effective policing today relies on technology. He cited examples from the United States and United Kingdom, where authorities use surveillance footage, fingerprint databases, and other digital tools to track and apprehend suspects – even years after a crime.
‘Police in Europe and America aren’t magicians. They use systems that work – databases, fingerprint records, video evidence – to catch people, even after a decade,’ he said.
Reacting to recent remarks by FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, who maintained that Abuja remains safe, Onyekpere urged caution. ‘Even if one person is killed, that alone shows there’s a problem. It’s not helpful to dismiss public concerns when lives are being lost,’ he said.
He called for more investment in surveillance, better coordination among security agencies, and greater responsiveness from government officials. ‘We need more vigilance and efficiency. Abuja and Nigeria as a whole need improved security systems,’ he added.
While acknowledging that no city is entirely crime-free, Onyekpere said continuous improvement is essential. ‘If we’re at 50%, we must aim for 60%. Even at 99%, we should still improve,’
However, Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, insists that Abuja remains safe.
‘If there is one safe city in this country, I think Abuja is that city,’ he said. ‘The problem is when one incident happens, people forget that for months nothing happened. We are doing a lot to keep Abuja safe,’ he had said publicly.
While acknowledging occasional incidents, Wike urged the public to recognize the efforts of security agencies and not to label the entire city unsafe.