Engineer Ifeanyi Maduagwu, father of the late Somtochukwu Maduagwu, a journalist with Arise News, has called for a thorough investigation into his daughter’s death, rejecting claims that she jumped from a three-storey building. Somtochukwu died on September 29, 2025, after unidentified assailants attacked her residence in Katampe, Abuja. Official reports suggested she fell while fleeing, but Maduagwu insists this is implausible.
In an interview with BBC Igbo in Port Harcourt, Maduagwu described his daughter as lively, intelligent, and afraid of heights, stating, “My daughter, Sommie Tochukwu Christelle Maduagwu, would never jump from a building. I believe she was killed. If you put Sommie on a table and asked her to jump, she couldn’t, let alone a three-storey building. The truth is still hidden, and I want the police to investigate properly.”
He expressed frustration over the delayed response during the incident, noting that help was slow to arrive and hospital staff delayed treatment due to demands for identification papers. Maduagwu recalled his last conversation with Somtochukwu, where she spoke of settling down and her ambition to drive positive change in Nigeria, possibly through politics.
Somtochukwu was laid to rest on Saturday in Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, following a funeral Mass at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, attended by family, friends, colleagues, and dignitaries, including Peter Obi. Rev. Fr. Peter Ezewuzie, in his homily, urged the family to find comfort in faith, saying, “The Lord knows the beginning from the end. You may feel a life was cut short, but this may be God’s plan.”
The Maduagwu family and the public continue to demand justice and a comprehensive investigation into the journalist’s death.
