Dan Agbese: End of an era [Idoma Voice Editorial]

The Nigerian media has lost a giant. The Idoma nation has lost a son of history. On Monday, November, the light dimmed on Chief Dan Agbese, veteran journalist, master of prose, influential author and co-founder of the bold and pioneering Newswatch magazine. He was 81.

Chief Agbese was more than a name in journalism; he was an era. As Awan’Otun of Agila in Ado LGA, he carried the weight of Idoma pride wherever he went. His death has sent a wave of emotion across Nigeria because a titan has taken a bow.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu captured the nation’s grief when he declared Agbese “an institution” whose pen shaped public discourse and gave journalism a moral backbone.

Indeed, long before journalism became diluted by propaganda and online recklessness, Agbese and his Newswatch colleagues defined courage in reporting, fearlessly asking questions others avoided.

From his early beginnings in Benue to his rise as one of Nigeria’s most respected journalists, Agbese stood firmly on the side of truth. His words were not merely written; they were crafted, clear, elegant, piercing and purposeful. He elevated the press from mere news transmission to national conscience.

Agbese understood journalism as a calling, one rooted in education, integrity, and intellectual curiosity. He challenged corruption without fear. He held leaders accountable. He gave the oppressed a voice. And he did so without noise or drama, just truth.

The Idoma people remember him not only as a media icon but as an anchor of wisdom and humility. He loved his people, championed development, and represented Agila with honour. He balanced greatness with accessibility, family man, community leader, patriotic servant.

Today, Idoma land mourns. Nigeria mourns. The newsroom feels smaller. The journalism classroom feels emptier. The nation feels the silence of a pen that once roared like thunder.

But great men never truly die.

Dan Agbese lives on: in the ethical compass he set for media professionals, in the courage he inspired among young reporters, in every Nigerian who believes information must serve justice.

As we mourn him, Idoma Voice issues a call:
Let the media return to truth. Let courage return to the newsrooms. Let integrity define the pen again.

Because that is how we honour the memory of Chief Dan Agbese — by continuing the work he dedicated his life to.

Farewell, legendary wordsmith.
Farewell, Idoma treasure.
Farewell, Nigeria’s journalism conscience.

Your legacy will never fade.

— Idoma Voice Editorial Board