The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Correspondents’ Chapel, Sokoto State Council, is mourning the death of its member, Mr Adeniyi Olugbemi, a veteran journalist and former Sokoto Bureau Chief of The Punch.
Olugbemi died on Saturday, leaving colleagues, friends and the media community in the state in shock and sorrow.
Chairman of the Chapel, Mr Ankeli Emmanuel, described the late journalist as hard-working, easy-going and deeply committed to the ethics and practice of journalism.
“Olugbemi has left a vacuum that will not be easy to fill,” Emmanuel said, adding that the Chapel had lost a gem whose presence, experience and counsel would be sorely missed.
He described the deceased as a prolific writer whose pen gave voice to the voiceless and whose reports shaped public discourse in every state where he practised.
The Chapel’s Secretary, Mr Musa Ubandawaki, said Olugbemi was a dedicated colleague whose humility, diligence and passion for the job endeared him to many within and outside the profession.
A native of Yelwa in Ogun State, Olugbemi built a remarkable career spanning several leading media organisations. He started as a correspondent with the Nigerian Tribune in Yola, Adamawa State, before joining The Sun and later the Taraba State Newspaper.
He subsequently joined The Punch, where he rose to become Bureau Chief in Sokoto, and also worked with Leadership Newspaper, where his analytical depth and fearless reporting stood out.
Before his death, he founded The Guild Magazine, through which he mentored young journalists and promoted responsible journalism in Sokoto and beyond.
The Chapel condoled with his family, friends and associates, praying God to grant them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss and to rest his soul in perfect peace.
