… legacy of TheNews, Tell Magazine, other media heroes who braved dictatorship for democracy
Oredola Adeola
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, himself a veteran of Nigeria’s pro-democracy struggle, has for the first time in recent memory officially recognized a broad slate of courageous journalists and media advocates for their sacrifices in defending press freedom and advancing democratic ideals during Nigeria’s darkest political years.
President Tinubu, speaking during a special address to a Joint Session of the National Assembly on Thursday as part of the 2025 Democracy Day celebrations, announced national honours-both posthumous and living-bestowed on several prominent journalists, editors, and media activists.
He said, “As we mark a twenty-sixth year of unbroken democracy, it is right to honour those who have made sacrifices in the past, braving all the odds and the guns to ensure we have a regime of democracy in our country.”
Among those honoured were prominent figures who stood at the frontline of the media resistance through daring investigative journalism, guerrilla publishing, and underground reporting:
-Late Bagauda Kaltho (OON) – Posthumously awarded. A fearless investigative journalist with TheNews magazine, Kaltho disappeared under suspicious circumstances during the Abacha regime, believed to have been a victim of state-sponsored repression.
-Dr. John Yima Sen (OON)- A journalist, scholar, and activist who used media as a platform for civic education and democratic engagement.
-Dr. Edwin Madunagu (CON)- Marxist writer and columnist known for his powerful critiques of military rule and advocacy for socialist and democratic values.
-Dr. Alex Ibru (CON)- Late founder of The Guardian Newspaper, which provided one of the most credible platforms for pro-democracy voices throughout successive military regimes.
-Prof. Olatunji Dare (CON)- Renowned journalism scholar and satirist whose columns fearlessly held autocratic regimes to account.
-Kunle Ajibade (OON)- Executive Editor of TheNews, jailed for life in 1995 over alleged coup links—a charge widely seen as politically motivated.
-Nosa Igiebor (OON)- Editor-in-Chief of Tell Magazine, celebrated for defying censorship and publishing hard-hitting exposés against military repression.
-Dapo Olorunyomi (OON)- Publisher of Premium Times and former editor at TheNews and Tempo. A key media strategist for NADECO who went into exile to evade arrest.
-Bayo Onanuga (CON)- Special Adviser to President Tinubu, Former Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and co-founder of TheNews, Tempo, and PM News. Onanuga was instrumental in guerrilla journalism efforts that challenged military authoritarianism.
Dare Babarinsa (CON)- Founding member of Newswatch and later Tell Magazine, known for his consistent promotion of democratic accountability through the press.
Seye Kehinde (OON) – Veteran journalist and founder of City People Magazine, recognized for using journalism to deepen political awareness.
Advisors Reports gathered that many of these media professionals -particularly those affiliated with Tell Magazine and TheNews-risked their lives and the safety of their families by publishing exclusive stories that exposed corruption, abuses, and tyranny during the military years.
While the Tell Magazine crew, including Igiebor, Babarinsa, and Olorunyomi, operated largely in secrecy to circumvent state censorship, the core TheNews team-Bayo Onanuga, Dapo Olorunyomi, Kunle Ajibade, and Seye Kehinde-deployed underground publishing networks and, at times, went into exile to keep the spirit of resistance alive.
Some of these media practitioners dared the gun and braved imprisonment and exile to keep the truth alive.
The awards, no doubt, are a tribute to the bravery of these unsung heroes-many of whom suffered imprisonment, exile, or death- enduring power of journalism in the face of General Sani Abacha tyranny.
