Father of late Arise TV journalist, Somtochukwu Maduagwu demands probe, says she couldn’t have jumped from storey building

Engineer Ifeanyi Maduagwu, father of late Arise TV star, Somtochukwu Maduagwu, has called on security agencies to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding his daughter’s tragic death, insisting that the current accounts “don’t add up.”

Somtochukwu died on the night of September 29 after unidentified assailants attacked her residence in Katampe, Abuja. Reports initially claimed she fell from a three-storey building while attempting to flee the attackers, but her father has strongly refuted this narrative.

In an interview with BBC Igbo in Port Harcourt, Maduagwu maintained that his daughter’s death was suspicious.

“What I know is that my daughter, Sommie Tochukwu Christelle Maduagwu, did not and would never jump from a building. I believe my daughter was killed,” he said.

Describing Somtochukwu as lively, intelligent, and afraid of heights, he added, “If you keep Sommie on top of a table and ask her to jump down, she can’t jump down, let alone a three-storey building. That is a lie. I want the police to investigate properly because the truth is still hidden.”

He also lamented the delayed response during the incident.

“I heard that when it happened, they called for help, but none came quickly. 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,” he said.

Recalling their last conversation, Maduagwu said his daughter had spoken about settling down soon and expressed her passion for making positive change in Nigeria, even aspiring to join politics someday.

Somtochukwu was laid to rest on Saturday in her hometown of Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, after a solemn funeral Mass at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Agulu.