The late Arise TV Anchor Sommie
Somtochukwu Christella, the father of the late Arise TV host, has spoken out about the terrible death of his daughter, who died during an armed robbery incident at her Abuja home.
In an emotional interview, Engineer Ifeanyi Maduagwu talked about her unmet aspirations to serve Nigeria, the last moments before the tragedy, and the memories they shared.
Maduagwu, from Agulu in Anambra State, described how he first learned about his daughter’s death:
“Honestly, it was a tragic and devastating experience. I was at work when I received a call from my elder brother, asking me to urgently come to Port Harcourt. I was surprised and pressed him further, wondering what could be so serious that required my immediate presence,” he said.
“Barely 15 minutes earlier, I had spoken with my wife. So after my brother’s call, I decided to ring her again, since she was the last person I had spoken with.
“Sadly, by the time everything became clear, the worst had already happened. It is so painful because, after all her efforts, my daughter’s passion and dreams for Nigeria were cut short,” he said.
According to the father, late Somtochukwu studied in the UK and returned to Nigeria for Law School.
He explained that he had booked her ticket to return abroad for her master’s degree, but she wanted to work in Nigeria for at least two years
He said: “She insisted she wanted to work for at least two years in Nigeria to gain experience before going back, and she did exactly that. Her decision was driven by a genuine desire to make a difference.
“She strongly believed that the way things were going in Nigeria was wrong and that her voice needed to be heard at home.
“She wanted to be part of the solution, to speak up and push for the changes this country desperately needs.”
