Manifold Media, publishers of the Pan-African newspaper, African Angle, has expressed sadness over the murder of Somtochukwu Maduagwu, who died in the early hours of Monday, September 29, following a violent armed robbery at her residence in the Katampe area of Abuja.
In a statement released on Tuesday and signed by the Executive Director, Seun Akioye, the management of Manifold Media condemned the hospital’s alleged refusal to treat Somtochukwu until a police report was produced.
The organisation described the hospital’s conduct as “ungodly,” insisting that its negligence was as culpable as the criminals who attacked her.
“We noted that while all humans would die, death unwholly, unwelcome, untimely, preventable, is totally unacceptable,” the statement read.
Concerns have emerged over the role of the hospital, as the delay in providing treatment may have contributed to her death.
Beyond this, Manifold Media also decried the worsening insecurity in Abuja, stressing that despite heavy security presence in the capital, the system failed both to prevent the crime and to save her life.
According to the statement, Somtochukwu, a lawyer by training but a passionate journalist by profession, sustained fatal injuries during the robbery.
“We can only recall and be thankful for the opportunity to know her, to feel her warmth and talent,” the statement added.
Extending its sympathy, Manifold Media condoled with her family, loved ones, and the management of Arise TV, alongside the wider journalism community in Nigeria.
“She was a rising star among her generation, a shining light upon whom much hope for the future of the profession was laid. Now that light is dimmed, by a system she so fervently served and protected,” the statement read.
The Manifold Media group further emphasized the loss to journalism, noting that her voice and presence left a lasting impression on colleagues and audiences alike.
