The remains of the late ARISE News anchor, Somtochukwu Maduagwu, also known as ‘Sommie’, have been buried at Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The Next Edition reports that Sommie, who died in September 2025 during an armed robbery attack at her residence in Abuja, was laid to rest on Saturday, after the funeral Mass at St Theresa’s Catholic Church, Agulu.
Those in attendance at the funeral include family members, relatives, friends, colleagues, and other dignitaries, including the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
While delivering his sermon at the burial mass, a parish priest from St Theresa’s Catholic Church, Reverend Father Peter Ezewuzie, consoled the family, asking them to take solace in the fact that Sommie lived a quality life.
Ezewuzie said, “The Lord who created us knows the beginning from the end. He is all-knowing, and some of you may be unhappy that a life has been cut short, but you won’t know if that is how God planned it.
“He (God) is an all-knowing father, so I urge you to grieve less. God, who gave Christelle Somtoo Maduagwu to your family, loves her more than you do. The only thing you owe her is to continue to remember her in your prayers. She is in a better place today and will always remember us, too.
“The maturity of life is the quality of life lived and not how long, and we can be sure that our sister lived a quality life. Let us strive to live our lives well. We are not here by chance; there is someone who brought us here, and he expects that you will live a good life because no one knows when it will be their time.”
Peter Obi, who is also from Agulu, while speaking after the funeral Mass, described Sommie’s death as heartbreaking and a painful reminder of the insecurity plaguing the nation.
He said, “We can not question God. When I heard of her death, I didn’t know that she was from Agulu, even before I tweeted about it.
“Our coming here will help to console you, but we know that this loss is a huge one. It is the wish of God, and none of us can question God. Please do remember her and her immediate family in your prayers.
“Before I left Birmingham yesterday, I told some people who were with me that I was rushing back to Nigeria for the burial of one of my daughters. I told them to remember to pray for her all the time, as she will be buried today.”
