Olushola Omogbehin
It was a sad monment on Saturday when the remains of the late Arise Television news anchor, Somtochukwu Maduagwu, popularly known as “Sommie,” were laid to rest in her hometown of Agulu, in the Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State
Her interment which took place around 1:30 p.m. after a funeral Mass at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church, Agulu drew mourners from across Anambra State and Nigerian to bid the presenter farewell to this sinful world.
Family members, colleagues, friends and dignitaries, including former Anambra governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, who were all with heavy hearts gathered to pay their final respects to the journalist whose life and career were abruptly cut short.
Reverend Father Peter Ezewuzie of St. Theresa’s Parish who led the mass urged the grieving family to find comfort in the legacy Sommie left behind.
In his admonition, he 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.”
Also speaking after the Mass, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, who also hails from Agulu, said, “We cannot 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 Him. 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.”
On behalf of the family, her uncle, Mr. Obi Maduagwu, commended Arise News for standing by the family since the tragedy occurred.
He said, “We thank the management of Arise News. They have been with us right from the beginning. We thank all who journeyed all the way to be with us.”
The tragedy that claimed Somtochukwu’s life occurred in September 2025, during an armed robbery attack at her Abuja residence.
