The Nigerian society is fast becoming unsafe territory for journalists. My ink is being replaced with tears as I write this dirge for one of the founding fathers of Nigerian tabloid journalism, ace writer, wordsmith and a columnist extraordinaire, Pastor Dimgba Igwe whose life was caught short on Saturday, 6 September by a hit-and-run driver while Jogging around his Okota residence in Lagos.
The rhetorical question now is ‘who killed Dimgba Igwe?’ Who was that devil-sent driver moving that metallic monster that pushed the soft-spoken cleric to his untimely grave? Was is it deliberate or just a normal accident?
What was the speed level of the vehicle that could run down a man within a small street resulting to his untimely death in a few hours? These are the many questions begging for answers.
It’s only heaven and Dimgba himself that know the truth for now. Dimgba’s death is an irreparable loss. A national tragedy. That was a man that has led many to the hilltop. He started as one of the founding Editors of the now rested Weekend Concord.
Together with his twin brother and companion, Mike Awoyinfa, they pioneered Nigeria’s King of the Tabloids, The Sun Newspaper, from where they moved to found Nigeria voice of showbiz, Entertainment Express. Igwe was indeed a man for all seasons.
The rate at which journalists are being brutally killed in Nigeria is quite alarming. Open the death-book of record and you would be dumbfounded with the endless list of potential writers who were killed with confirmed/unconfirmed motives for doing their work.
Dele Giwa the founder of NewsWatch was murdered in his house by a mail bomb on October 19, 1986. All the efforts by the late human right activist, Chief Gani Fawehimi to unravel the circumstances surrounding his death were unsuccessful. Giwa was only immortalized by a street named after him in FCT by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Baguda Kaltho of the TheNEWS dropped his pen on March 1, 1996. Chinedu Offoam of the Guardian met his untimely death on May 1, 1996. Bolade Fassasi of the National Association of women Journalists followed same path on March 31, 1999. Tunde Oladepo of the Guardian February 26 1998. Okezie Amaruben, Newservice September 2, 1998. Fidelis Ikwuebe, April 18, 1998. Sam Nimfa Jan, May 27, 1999. Samson Boyi, the Scope, November 5, 1999. Godwin Agbroko, Thisday December 22, 2006. Paul Abayomi Ogundeji, Thisday August 16, 2008. Bayo Ohu, The Guardian September 20, 2009. Sunday Gyang Bwede and Nathan Dabak of Light Bearer were attacked and stabbed by a mob on their way for an interview on 24 April 2010. Zakariya Isa, Nigeria Television Authority October 22, 2011. Enenche Akogwu is another youthful journalist that Nigerians cannot forget in a hurry. Akogwu, who doubled as a reporter and a cameraman for ChannelsTV was shot at a close range by the Boko Haram Insurgents on January 20, 2012 in Kano State, and Dimgba Igwe who just dropped his golden ink.
The list is endless. These are some of the newsmen that their lives were caught short in the missionary field of journalistic evangelism.
Who wants to wipe out journalists from the shores of Nigeria? Can life be meaningful or fun without information? Have you ever imagined waking up one day only to discover that there’s no more AIT for you to share those African experiences? No GalaxyTV to reach for the stars. No Daily Sun on newsstands to keep you updated on terrorism, Chibok abduction, Ebola and the message from the Aso rock for Nigerians? No more Complete Sports to inform you of your favorite club and how Super Eagles are being humbled by the Red Devils of Congo on their own soil? And in entertainment- no more Entertainment Express, CityPeople, Encomium for those Celebrities gossips? Boring I guess.
And you would even be disappointed when you turn to the internet, and no more DailyPost, Saharareporters, Premium Times, and Linda Ikeji for those online gist and breaking news.
Despite the danger, journalists are still doing this job because of the passion, not for the gain of it.
A day strike of Media would be as devastating as the slavery Golgotha of the 18th Century in Nigeria.
Politicians need publicity, manufacturers need advertisement, Clerics are not left out. Who then are the enemies of the press? Journalists need abundant freedom. Are we protected? What of daily humiliation and molestation by our armed forces.
Recently, thousands of copies of newspapers were confiscated by the Military authorities on the ground that it was acting on the intelligence reports of possible weapons been conveyed in the newspaper Van. How many hours would it take the Military to search the those Vans and let the paper go for circulation? Why did it extend to the following days? Did they really find anything at the end of the day? These are some of the many questions on the lips of the press begging for answers.
Now Dimgba is no more, he has joined his kindred spirits, the likes of Dele Giwa, Bayo Ohu and Enenche Akogwu and the rest. They are now writing with the Angels. Igwe once said “I can interview God if I see him”; he has gone to the master with his midget.
Pastor Dimgba committed no sin for being a journalist. Its not a blasphemy to say God himself is a journalist, even the Bible is the best ‘Newspaper’ ever written. With forty reporters and Almighty the Editor-in Chief. Today we are reading the mind of God in the paper.
The Police Chief has promised thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Pastor Igwe’s untimely death.
We pray lets something better come out of Galilea this time. May Pastor Dimgba’s killer not go unpunished.
Once again I ask, who killed Dimgba Igwe?
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