The journalism community in Nigeria is mourning the loss of veteran journalist Hamisu Danjibga, who was found dead under tragic circumstances.
Danjibga, a respected correspondent for the Voice of Nigeria (VON), had been missing for three days before his body was discovered in a soakaway. The cause of his death is currently unknown and under investigation.
The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has expressed its deep condolences over the tragic loss and called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Danjibga’s death.
The state NUJ Secretary, Ibrahim Ahmad, said in a statement from Gusau:
“The discovery of his corpse was as result of unpleasant odour observed by children of an Islamic School behind his house in the evening of Wednesday Sept. 20, 2023.
“After breaking the soakaway, the dead body was confirmed to be that of Danjibga by his family and some neighbours”, the statement said.
Danjibga was declared missing three days ago before his corpse was found.
Sources said that the family was initially asked to pay a sum of one million naira for his release, but the figure was raised by the unknown persons suspected to have murdered him.
The NUJ has reiterated its call for better protection for journalists and is urging authorities to ensure a thorough investigation into Danjibga’s death.