Agbese, a respected columnist, author, and journalism teacher, passed away on Monday at the age of 81.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has mourned veteran journalist and co-founder of Newswatch magazine, Chief Dan Agbese, describing his death as a monumental loss to Nigeria’s media landscape.
Chief Agbese, a respected columnist, author, and journalism teacher, passed away on Monday at the age of 81. His family confirmed the news in a statement, noting that he hailed from the Ikpilogwu clan, Agila district, in Ado Local Government Area of Benue State.
In a condolence message issued on Monday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Musa Abdullahi Krishi, Speaker Abbas said Agbese was “a journalism icon in Nigeria and beyond,” whose impact on the profession and the nation’s democratic journey remains indelible.
The Speaker recalled Agbese’s decades of fearless reporting, dating back to the 1960s through the 1990s, describing him as a dogged and principled journalist who consistently spoke truth to power. Abbas noted that even in retirement, the late media maestro continued to shape national discourse through his widely respected columns, including The Ombudsman in the Daily Trust, which he wrote until recently.
According to the Speaker, Agbese belonged to a generation of journalists who not only chronicled Nigeria’s history but also actively contributed to the struggle for democracy and accountability.
“The exploits of the likes of Chief Agbese shaped the Nigerian society positively,” Abbas said, adding that the deceased was one of the few who held leaders to account during his heyday.
Speaker Abbas extended heartfelt condolences to the Agbese family, the government and people of Benue State, and the entire Nigerian media fraternity, while praying that God would grant the family the fortitude to bear the loss and grant the soul of the departed eternal rest.