Police in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have arrested three men in connection with the murder of journalist Azubuko Nwakama, who was attacked and robbed in June 2024 at Panteka Market, Mpape, Abuja.
The FCT Police Command said Nwakama, a staff member of Liberty Radio, was stabbed during the incident and had his mobile phone and other belongings stolen.
Detectives from the Mpape Division began investigating immediately after the attack but faced difficulties tracing the stolen device, which remained switched off for more than a year. The breakthrough came on 2 August 2025 when the phone — a Redmi 13C — was powered on and tracked to 32-year-old Mutari Lawal from Kano State.
Lawal was arrested and, during interrogation, admitted to the attack, naming two accomplices: 22-year-old Dan’Asabe Ibrahim from Zamfara State and 18-year-old Danjuma Ibrahim, both with no fixed address in Mpape. Lawal told police he had taken the phone to Kano and kept it switched off for a year before returning to Abuja.
FCT Police Commissioner Ajao Adewale praised the persistence and professionalism of the officers involved, warning other criminals that “the long arm of the law… will definitely catch up with them.”
The police urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities through its emergency lines.
