Engineer Ifeanyi Maduagwu, the father of the late Arise TV journalist, Somtochukwu Maduagwu, has urged the police and other security agencies to uncover the factual circumstances surrounding his daughter’s death.
He insisted that the accounts being circulated “don’t add up.”
Somtochukwu tragically died on the night of September 29 after unidentified assailants attacked her residence in Katampe, Abuja, the Nigerian capital.
According to reports, she fell from a three-storey building while attempting to flee from the attackers. However, her father has strongly refuted the account.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Igbo in Port Harcourt, Mr. Maduagwu maintained that his daughter’s death was suspicious and demanded a thorough investigation to uncover the truth.
“What I know is that my daughter, Sommie Tochukwu Christelle Maduagwu, did not and would never jump from a building,” he said.
“I believe my daughter was killed.”
The grieving father described his daughter as intelligent, lively, and someone afraid of heights.
“Sommie loved her life so much. If you keep Sommie on top of a table and ask her to jump down, she can’t jump down, let alone jumping down from a three-storey building. That is a lie. I want the police to investigate the incident properly to unravel the truth because the truth is still hidden,” he said.
He lamented that she didn’t get timely help after the incident.
“I heard that when it happened, they called for help, but none came quickly,” he said.
“Even when she was taken to the hospital, they delayed attending to her because they asked for identification papers. All those things broke my heart.”
Her father recalled his last conversation with her.
“We talked about so many things, but what made me happy was that she said she was ready to settle down soon,” he said.
“Somtochukwu cared about others. When she woke up, all she thought about was how to make life better for people. She always said she wanted to change how things are done in Nigeria. She wanted to go into politics someday, maybe even become a senator.”
The remains of the late Sommie on Saturday were laid to rest amid tears in her hometown of Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State.
Sommie was buried after a solemn funeral Mass held at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Agulu.
The funeral drew a large crowd of mourners, including family members, friends, colleagues, and dignitaries, including the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Delivering a homily during the service, Rev. Fr. Peter Ezewuzie of St. Theresa’s Parish urged the grieving family to find comfort in faith, describing the late journalist’s life as one of purpose and impact.
“The Lord who created us knows the beginning from the end. He is all-knowing, and some of you may be unhappy that a life has been cut short, but you won’t know if that is how God planned it,” Ezewuzie said.
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