The ink has dried on the final chapter of one of Africa’s most courageous journalistic lives. Yakubu Mohammed, the indomitable co-founder of Newswatch magazine and a titan of investigative reporting, breathed his last in Lagos this Wednesday.

His death, coming barely two months after the passing of his lifelong friend and partner Dan Agbese, signals the twilight of a generation that dared to speak truth to power when the barrel of the gun ruled the state. For the journalism fraternity, this is not just a loss; it is the closing of a cathedral of integrity.

The Quartet That Feared Nothing

To understand the magnitude of Mohammed’s passing, one must rewind to 1984. Nigeria was under the grip of a military junta, and the press was besieged. Into this stifling atmosphere walked four men—Dele Giwa, Ray Ekpu, Dan Agbese, and Yakubu Mohammed. They founded Newswatch, a magazine that would redefine investigative journalism on the continent.

Mohammed was the quiet strategist among the quartet, known for his lucid prose and unshakeable commitment to facts. While Giwa was the flamboyant frontman, Mohammed was the intellectual anchor. Together, they exposed corruption, human rights abuses, and the excesses of the military elite.

• The assassination of Dele Giwa: When a parcel bomb killed Giwa in 1986, it was Mohammed and his surviving colleagues who held the fort, refusing to let the magazine die despite immense intimidation.
• The proscription: The regime banned Newswatch multiple times, but Mohammed’s resolve never wavered. He famously said, “You can proscribe the paper, but you cannot proscribe the truth.”

A Life of "Beyond Expectations"

It is poignant that Mohammed launched his memoir, titled Beyond Expectations, only in November 2025. It was as if he was tidying his desk before the final departure. The book details his journey from humble beginnings to the pinnacle of media ownership, offering a masterclass in resilience.

President Bola Tinubu led the tributes, describing Mohammed as a “courageous professional whose life was devoted to truth.” But for those in the newsroom, he was more than that; he was a mentor who taught that a story is not finished until it is verified, cross-checked, and verified again.

“He showed us that journalism is not a popularity contest,” said Dare Babarinsa, a veteran journalist who worked under him. “It is a public trust. Yakubu carried that trust with a dignity that is rare in today’s clickbait economy.”

As the sun sets on this media icon, his legacy is etched not in stone, but in the thousands of reporters he inspired to ask the hard questions.