President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, joined prominent Nigerians to extend heartfelt condolences to the family of veteran journalist and co-founder of Newswatch Magazine, Alhaji Yakubu Mohammed, who died on Monday night.
Other Nigerians who also mourned the deceased included former Senate President, David Mark; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; his Kogi State counterpart, Usman Ododo; the Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris; and the Nigerian Guild of Editors.
Mohammed, alongside late Dele Giwa, Dan Agbese, and Ray Ekpu, founded Newswatch Magazine in 1984, inspiring the era of fearless investigative journalism in Nigeria during the military era.
Mohammed served as pro-chancellor and chancellor of the Governing Council of Ahmadu Bello University. He was also Associate Editor of New Nigerian Newspapers (1976-1980), Deputy Editor and Editor of National Concord (1980-1984) before the founding of Newswatch.
The president, in a statement by his Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, commiserated with the government and people of Kogi State, the Nigerian Union of Journalists, the Nigerian Guild of Editors, the Commonwealth Journalists’ Association, and other media institutions, public and private, where the late Mohammed had provided leadership.
Tinubu affirmed that Mohammed’s career in journalism, spanning over 50 years, was devoted to nation-building, with the journalist placing his life on the line to tell the truth to power.
He noted the dedication of Mohammed, whom he called a personal friend, and his colleagues in sustaining the visionary legacy of Newswatch Magazine after the assassination of Dele Giwa in 1986, further confirming their resolve and courage in pushing the boundaries of investigative journalism in Nigeria.
Tinubu believed that Mohammed’s publication of his memoirs, “Beyond Expectations,” in November 2025, provided an opportunity for soul-searching and deep reflection on leadership in Nigeria and the role of journalists.
He prayed that the Almighty God would receive the soul of the departed, and grant him Jannatul Firdaus. (ThisDay)
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