Sommie’s dream was to make Nigeria better, says uncle

•She planned to wed earlier Easter

•Fubara mourns

By Daniel Abia

Port Harcourt—The decease of 29-year-old Arise TV correspondent, Somtochukwu ‘Sommie’ Maduagwu, has thrown her family, colleagues and admirers into heavy mourning, truncating her imagination of returning from the United Kingdom to lend to gathering a amended Nigeria.

Sommie, who reportedly jumped from a three-storey building, successful Abuja, to flight an equipped robbery attack, had finalised plans to settee down earlier Easter 2026. Instead, her untimely decease has near down shattered dreams and grieving loved ones.

Narrating however the household received the devastating news, her uncle, Engr. Obi Maduagwu, said the incidental came arsenic a rude shock. “It was my niece successful Abuja who archetypal called maine utilizing Sommie’s phone.

She confirmed the incidental aft rushing to the country and aboriginal the hospital. I had to telephone her parents separately to instrumentality home, though I couldn’t interruption the quality to her parent immediately,” helium recalled.

He described the precocious writer arsenic independent-minded and profoundly passionate astir making Nigeria work. “After moving successful the UK for 2 years, she told her begetter she was returning due to the fact that she wanted to marque Nigeria a amended society. That was her ideology. She adjacent revealed her imagination of going into authorities and warring for women’s emancipation,” helium said.

Engr. Maduagwu, visibly distraught, besides faulted the country’s information and healthcare systems. “If the constabulary had responded promptly, possibly this calamity could person been prevented. And hospitals should not beryllium demanding ID cards oregon constabulary reports earlier treating victims. In the UK, a distress telephone is answered successful 3 minutes,” helium lamented.

The precocious broadcaster, who had dual citizenship and a inheritance successful law, chose journalism arsenic her way of expression. Just days earlier her death, she had posted the comment, “let Nigeria not hap to you”, which her uncle described arsenic a haunting premonition.

Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has described Sommie’s passing arsenic a monumental loss. In a condolence statement, helium said: “She was not conscionable a distinguished journalist; she was an embodiment of kindness, brilliance, and resilience. Her dependable connected Arise News inspired millions, and her passionateness for justness reflected her ineligible mind. Losing Sommie astatine this clip is an unwholesome calamity for her family, Rivers State, and our country.”

The politician noted that portion the vacuum near by her decease cannot beryllium filled, helium takes solace successful the Federal Government’s directive for information agencies to guarantee justness is done.

The station Sommie’s imagination was to marque Nigeria better, says uncle appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.