Abuja woke up to grief on Monday, September 29, when news broke that 29-year-old journalist and lawyer, Somtochukwu Christelle Maduagwu—fondly called “Sommie”—had been killed in her Katampe home during a robbery attack.
Sommie was more than a reporter at Arise News. She was a bright, young woman who had trained as a lawyer before crossing into journalism, quickly winning respect for her fearless reporting, calm presentation, and passion for truth. For friends, colleagues, and admirers, her life was only just beginning—until it was brutally cut short.
The shock of her death has rippled beyond her newsroom. The Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD) says Sommie’s killing is another chilling reminder that nowhere in Nigeria is safe, not even the Federal Capital Territory.
“If a journalist can be murdered in her own home, in the heart of the nation’s capital, what hope is left for ordinary Nigerians?” FENRAD’s Executive Director, Nelson Nnanna Nwafor, asked in a statement.
The group recalled that hers is not an isolated case. Other Nigerians—lawyers, activists, civil servants, and students—have been lost to violence in recent years, leaving a trail of families shattered and dreams aborted.
For the media industry, Sommie’s death is especially painful. Colleagues describe her as a “symbol of youth aspiration and professionalism,” a young woman determined to use her platform to hold power to account. Now, her seat in the newsroom will sit empty, her voice silenced at a time Nigeria desperately needs courageous journalists.
FENRAD insists that condolences are not enough. The organisation has called for:
- A full, independent, and transparent investigation into her murder
- The swift arrest and prosecution of her killers
- A security audit of Abuja and urgent reforms of Nigeria’s security system
Beyond justice for Sommie, FENRAD warns that her killing should be a turning point for Nigeria.
“Let her death not become just another statistic. Let it be a watershed moment,” the group declared.
For her family, friends, and colleagues, the pain is still raw. A mother has lost her daughter. Friends are left with memories of laughter and dreams shared. A newsroom is in mourning.
But across Nigeria, Sommie’s name is being lifted as a symbol—of courage, of youthful promise, and of a nation crying out for safety and justice.
“Rest in power, Sommie,” FENRAD’s statement concluded.
