By Egena Sunday Ode
President Bola Tinubu has extended condolences to the family of Alhaji Yakubu Mohammed, a veteran journalist and co-founder of Newswatch Magazine, who died on Monday night.
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.
A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said Tinubu 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.
He said the President 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.
Tinubu 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.
According to the statement also, the President believed 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.
Yakubu 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 prayed that the Almighty God will receive the soul of the departed, and grant him Jannatul Firdaus, the statement noted.
