'MY DAUGHTER, ARISE TV ANCHOR SOMMIE WAS MURDERED,' SAYS FATHER (VIDEO)

The father of deceased ARISE TV News anchor, Ms. Somtochukwu Maduagwu was alleged that his daughter was murdered, contrary to Police claims that she jumped from the third floor of her apartment while trying to escape an armed robbery attack in her apartment at Katampe, Abuja.

Speaking in an interview with BBC Igbo, Engineer Ifeanyi Maduagwu described as "funny" the claim that his daughter jumped to her death.

He also stated that he was at work on an offshore rig when he was informed of the incident, adding that his son in Budapest was the one who broke the news of her death to him.

Maduagwu, who spoke in Igbo, said: "What I know is that my daughter, Somtochukwu Christele Maduagwu who I bore cannot jump from a high-rise building. Somebody telling me that she jumped, and one of the armed robbers claiming of holding her and her weight was overwhelming and she fell off, looks funny. I believe my daughter Sommie was murdered!"

Continuing, he said that Sommie values her life so much, adding: "If you put Sommie on a table and ask her to jump, she won't jump! And to think of her jumping froma three-storey building! That claim is not true. I would like the Police to properly investigate and pinpoint what really happened - because the truth is yet to be unraveled." 

CITY LAWYER recalls that the deceased ARISE TV anchor died on September 29, 2025, following the armed robbery attack.

She was buried last Saturday around 1:30 p.m. after a funeral Mass at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Agulu, Anambra State.

Delivering a homily during the Mass, Rev. Fr. Peter Ezewuzie of St. Theresa’s Parish consoled the bereaved family and urged them to take solace in the belief that Maduagwu lived a meaningful and impactful life.

The late journalist’s death in September sent shockwaves across Nigeria’s media community. Reports said the assailants invaded her Abuja home at night, and she was later confirmed dead at a nearby hospital.

Tributes have continued to pour in from colleagues, friends, and prominent Nigerians, who described her as intelligent, hardworking, and full of promise.

Saturday’s burial drew journalists, government officials, and members of the Agulu community, all of whom paid their last respects to a rising media star whose life was tragically cut short, leaving behind memories of brilliance, humility, and hope.

      * Family members at the funeral service