How Somtochukwu Ignored Her Father’s Plea To Remain In The UK

Tucked distant astir the serene Rebisi Garden, amended known arsenic GRA Phase 4, successful the bosom of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, lies the quiet, grieving location of the parents of the precocious Arise Television newscaster, Somtochukwu Maduagwu. Outside, wailing and anguished screams pierce the stillness arsenic tiny groups of neighbors, elder colleagues, friends, and assemblage members gather. Some person swollen eyes from hours of weeping, portion others basal successful stunned silence, struggling to process the cruel twist of destiny that has shattered a once-promising future.

The humble one-story building, located conscionable down the Nigeria Police Mobile Force 19, has go a solemn gathering constituent since Monday, September 30, 2025, drafting a dependable watercourse of mourners pursuing the achy and untimely demise of Somtochukwu, fondly known wrong the household and beyond arsenic ‘Sommie’. It each started and ended connected a quiescent nighttime successful Abuja, wherever anticipation met heartbreak successful an instant. While trying to flight a robbery attack, Somtochukwu met a cruel and untimely death. This calamity has near her household shattered and a federation erstwhile again confronting a achy question: Should young, talented Nigerians proceed risking it each for a state that offers them truthful small successful return?

For her loving parents, who lone precocious marked their wedding anniversary, the nonaccomplishment has torn unfastened a coiled truthful heavy it whitethorn ne'er heal, leaving them wretched with grief and robbed of the joyousness their girl erstwhile brought home. Aged 29, the deceased sustained fatal injuries aft jumping from a three-story gathering successful the Katampe country of Abuja. Before returning to Nigeria against her father’s wishes, she lived and worked successful the United Kingdom alongside her 2 younger siblings.

LEADERSHIP Weekend visited the residence of Somtochukwu’s parents, some of whom are inactive young and working, but they were incapable to talk astir their archetypal girl owed to uncontrollable tears. Instead, they entrusted her uncle, her father’s elder brother, Engr. Obi Maduagwu, to talk connected their behalf.

Engr. Maduagwu explained that helium was the archetypal household subordinate to beryllium contacted aft Somtochukwu’s death, arsenic her begetter works offshore connected an lipid rig.

He said, “It was truly a shock. They called maine astir my niece. I person different nieces, children of my contiguous younger sister, and they are successful Abuja too. They called maine and said this is what they heard. They said idiosyncratic utilized Sommie’s telephone to telephone them and said this is what happened to your sister. I said, ‘Okay, unreserved to that place. You cognize normally, immoderate scammers tin telephone you and accidental this idiosyncratic is sick oregon that.’ I told her to spell to Sommie’s spot and confirm. She got there, saw what was happening, asked them, and they confirmed it.”

“I past said, ‘Okay, since they said it is true, spell to the infirmary to corroborate whether it is her oregon not.’ She went to the National Hospital, Abuja, saw her, and sent maine the grounds immediately. The pictures were there, which made maine confirm—one of her connected the stretcher and 1 of the gathering she fell from. It was erstwhile I got those pictures that I started reasoning astir what to do.”

“Her father, who is my inferior brother, works connected the rig, and her parent besides works. That was the problem. If I decided to fell it from them, it mightiness leak onto the net astatine immoderate moment. So, I started making arrangements to get her (Sommie’s mother) backmost from her bureau done her elder sister’s husband, who is successful Abuja.”

“When I called her, I didn’t archer her thing but requested the telephone fig of her brother-in-law. I called him, explained what had happened, and asked him to find retired precisely what had happened. He dropped everything helium was doing and rushed to the infirmary successful Abuja, wherever helium confirmed it. We were past capable to bring her backmost and pass her. But earlier that, she had a feeling thing was wrong, though she couldn’t fig it out.”

Obi Maduagwu stated that Somtochukwu was idiosyncratic who ever did things her ain mode whenever she wanted to.

“She was the archetypal girl and had 2 younger siblings, a lad and a girl. Somtochukwu was ever determined; erstwhile she acceptable her caput connected something, thing could halt her. If she said, ‘This is what I privation to bash and wherever I privation to go,’ determination was nary convincing her otherwise.”

“She completed her studies successful the United Kingdom and worked determination for 2 years. Then, she announced her determination to instrumentality to Nigeria. Her begetter protested, asking what she hoped to execute backmost home. But she was steadfast, insisting that she indispensable travel back. She told her begetter that she was coming location to marque Nigeria work. That was her conviction. While galore were fleeing the country, those already overseas with overseas passports and citizenship, Somtochukwu chose to instrumentality an...