•She planned to marry before Easter
•Fubara mourns
By Daniel Abia
Port Harcourt—The death of 29-year-old Arise TV correspondent, Somtochukwu ‘Sommie’ Maduagwu, has thrown her family, colleagues and admirers into deep mourning, truncating her dream of returning from the United Kingdom to contribute to building a better Nigeria.
Sommie, who reportedly jumped from a three-storey building, in Abuja, to escape an armed robbery attack, had finalised plans to settle down before Easter 2026. Instead, her untimely death has left behind shattered dreams and grieving loved ones.
Narrating how the family received the devastating news, her uncle, Engr. Obi Maduagwu, said the incident came as a rude shock. “It was my niece in Abuja who first called me using Sommie’s phone.
She confirmed the incident after rushing to the scene and later the hospital. I had to call her parents separately to return home, though I couldn’t break the news to her mother immediately,” he recalled.
He described the late journalist as independent-minded and deeply passionate about making Nigeria work. “After working in the UK for two years, she told her father she was returning because she wanted to make Nigeria a better society. That was her ideology. She even revealed her dream of going into politics and fighting for women’s emancipation,” he said.
Engr. Maduagwu, visibly distraught, also faulted the country’s security and healthcare systems. “If the police had responded promptly, maybe this tragedy could have been prevented. And hospitals should not be demanding ID cards or police reports before treating victims. In the UK, a distress call is answered in three minutes,” he lamented.
The late broadcaster, who had dual citizenship and a background in law, chose journalism as her path of expression. Just days before her death, she had posted the comment, “let Nigeria not happen to you”, which her uncle described as a haunting premonition.
Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has described Sommie’s passing as a monumental loss. In a condolence statement, he said: “She was not just a distinguished journalist; she was an embodiment of kindness, brilliance, and resilience. Her voice on Arise News inspired millions, and her passion for justice reflected her legal mind. Losing Sommie at this time is an unwholesome tragedy for her family, Rivers State, and our country.”
The governor noted that while the vacuum left by her death cannot be filled, he takes solace in the Federal Government’s directive for security agencies to ensure justice is done.
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