President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed deep sorrow over the death of Yakubu Mohammed, a veteran journalist and co-founder of Newswatch Magazine, who passed away on Monday night.
In a condolence message issued by the Presidential Spokesperson, Mr Bayo Onanuga, the President extended his sympathies to the family of the late media icon, describing Mohammed as a towering figure whose life and work helped shape modern journalism in Nigeria.
Mohammed, alongside the late Dele Giwa, Dan Agbese, and Ray Ekpu, founded Newswatch Magazine in 1984, ushering in an era of fearless investigative journalism that redefined media practice during the military years.
President Tinubu also commiserated with the government and people of Kogi State, the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), the Commonwealth Journalists’ Association, and other public and private media institutions where the late Mohammed rendered distinguished service and leadership.
He noted that Mohammed’s journalism career, which spanned more than five decades, was dedicated to nation-building, marked by uncommon courage and a commitment to speaking truth to power, even at great personal risk.
Describing him as a personal friend, President Tinubu praised Mohammed and his colleagues for sustaining the visionary legacy of Newswatch after the assassination of Dele Giwa in 1986, a period that tested their resolve but ultimately strengthened their reputation for courage and professionalism in investigative reporting.
The President further observed that Mohammed’s memoir, “Beyond Expectations,” published in November 2025, offered Nigerians an opportunity for deep reflection on leadership and the enduring role of the media in national development.
Beyond journalism, Yakubu Mohammed also made lasting contributions to education and public service.
He served as Pro-Chancellor and Chancellor of the Governing Council of Ahmadu Bello University, and earlier held key editorial positions as Associate Editor of the New Nigerian Newspapers (1976–1980), Deputy Editor, and later Editor of National Concord (1980–1984) before co-founding Newswatch.
President Tinubu prayed that Almighty Allah would grant the departed journalist eternal rest and admit him into Jannatul Firdaus, while also asking God to comfort his family, friends, and colleagues in the media profession.
Lateefah Ibrahim