Nigeria’s mass media landscape has been dimmed by the passing of Yakubu Mohammed, veteran journalist and co-founder of Newswatch magazine; a man whose life and work helped define the golden age of investigative journalism in the country.
His death is not merely the loss of an individual, but the closing of a chapter in Nigeria’s journalistic history. It is one written with courage, restraint, and deep moral conviction.
Yakubu belonged to a generation of journalists who saw the press as a sacred public trust. For him, journalism was never about celebrity, commercial success, or partisan advantage. It was about truth, accountability, and service to society. As co-founder of Newswatch magazine, he was one of the few builders of an institution that would become one of Africa’s most respected news magazines, feared by despots, respected by intellectuals, and trusted by the Nigerian citizens hungry for honest news reporting.
At a time when military rule cast a long shadow over public life, Newswatch stood as a bastion of independent thought. The magazine’s investigative depth, analytical clarity, and fearless reporting set new standards for journalism in Nigeria.
Yakubu was central to this vision. He believed stories must be rigorously researched, carefully written, and ethically grounded. In an era when a poorly sourced story line could cost a journalist’s freedom — or his life — he insisted on accuracy, context, and fairness; not as luxuries, but as survival tools and moral imperatives.
Those who worked with him remember a man of quiet authority. He was not loud or flamboyant, yet his presence commanded respect. Those who worked closely with him attested that at editorial meetings, his interventions were often measured and thoughtful, but decisive. Abdullahi Idris who worked under him at the New Nigerian newspapers in Kaduna recalled that Yakubu would ask the difficult questions: ‘Is this true? Can we defend this fact? Are we being fair’?
Idris, who is now member, Governing Board of the Guild of Interfaith Media Practitioners Nigeria (GIMP-Nigeria), added that in doing so, he was protecting not just the newspaper’s credibility, but also, the lives and reputations of his colleagues.
Yakubu’s career unfolded during one of the most turbulent periods in Nigeria’s history. Journalists faced harassment, censorship, detention, and in some tragic cases, assassination. Yet he remained steadfast, convinced that silence in the face of injustice was a betrayal of the profession and public expectations. His courage was outstanding. It was laced with discipline anchored on principle. He understood that the power of journalism lay not in provocation, but in credibility.
Beyond his public achievements, he was a mentor to many. He invested deeply in younger journalists, patiently guiding them through the demanding craft of reporting and writing. He taught them that journalism begins with curiosity, sustained by discipline, and completed by integrity.
For him, deadlines mattered, but ethics mattered more, Idris emphasized.
From the New Nigerian newspapers to the Concord Group in Lagos and ultimately to the Newswatch magazine, Idris noted that he exemplified professionalism in an industry often tempted by compromise.
According to him, Yakubu resisted the lure of political patronage and commercial inducement that could dilute editorial independence. He believed the journalist must maintain a critical distance from power, no matter how friendly or familiar it appeared.
That stance, sometimes costly, earned him a reputation for incorruptibility and earned Newswatch its moral authority.
As Nigeria’s media environment evolved with the rise of digital platforms, 24-hour news cycles, and the growing menace of misinformation, Yakubu remained a reference point for what journalism should be. His life reminds us that technology may change, but principles do not. Speed can never replace verification, and popularity can never substitute for truth.
His passing came at a moment when Nigerian journalism faces renewed challenges: economic pressures, political intimidation, shrinking civic space, and the erosion of public trust. It challenges today’s journalists to rise above convenience and fear, and it reassures them that integrity, though demanding, leaves an enduring legacy.
To his family, colleagues, and friends, Yakubu was more than a journalist; he was a husband, father, mentor, and moral compass. To the nation, he was a quiet defender of democracy and a guardian of the public interest.
As we bid him farewell, we celebrate a life devoted to truth and service. Yakubu may have laid down his pen, but the values he embodied — courage, fairness, discipline, and conscience — remain alive in every journalist who dares to ask hard questions and tell uncomfortable truth. He was a strong advocate of ethnic and religious harmony.
May his soul rest in eternal peace, and may his legacy continue to guide and inspire Nigerian journalism for generations to come. We at GIMP-Nigeria have lost a potential promoter and advocate.
Abdulmalik is a journalist, author, biographer, and Chairman/National Coordinator of the Guild of Interfaith Media Practitioners Nigeria
