…How she Planned Her Marriage Before Next Easter

…As Fubara Mourns

By Daniel Abia, Port Harcourt

The sudden death of 29-year-old AriseTV correspondent, Somtochukwu Maduagwu, has devastated her family, cutting short her dream of leaving behind the comfort of the United Kingdom to return home and contribute to building a better Nigeria.

Fondly called “Sommie,” she reportedly jumped from a three-storey building in Abuja while trying to escape an armed robbery attack on Monday, September 29. She had already finalized plans to wed before Easter 2026.

Her uncle, Engineer Obi Maduagwu, who spoke to journalists in Port Harcourt, described the shock of receiving the tragic news. He explained how the family pieced together the events from calls and photographs sent from the scene and hospital.

According to him, convincing Sommie’s father—who was working offshore—to return home required urgent intervention from colleagues and superiors at Shell. A helicopter was arranged to bring him back to Port Harcourt the same day.

Reflecting on her values, Engr. Maduagwu said Sommie was independent-minded, determined, and passionate about national service. “She told her father she was leaving the UK, where she was earning more, because she wanted Nigeria to work. She believed in a better society,” he recalled.

She once revealed in an AriseTV interview her interest in politics, particularly women’s empowerment, and had championed the call for more Senate seats for women. A beauty pageant winner in her younger years, she was described as strong-willed and self-driven.

Sommie, who had dual citizenship and completed her education in the UK, deliberately chose journalism over law. Her uncle explained, “She wanted a platform to express herself.” He added that her comment—“Let Nigeria not happen to you”—days before her death now feels like a premonition.

He lamented Nigeria’s insecurity and slow emergency response: “If police had arrived on time, this tragedy could have been prevented. In the UK, distress calls are answered in minutes.” He also decried hospitals’ demands for ID cards or police reports before treatment, urging reforms to prioritize saving lives.

Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara expressed deep sorrow over Sommie’s death, describing her as “one of the shining stars Rivers State gave to Nigeria and the world.”

In a statement, he praised her brilliance, humility, and passion for justice, calling her death an “unwholesome tragedy.” He assured that security agencies have been directed to ensure justice is served, while noting that the void her passing leaves behind cannot easily be filled.