BREAKING: Veteran journalist, Chief Jide Adebayo is dead

Veteran journalist and Eesa of Omu-Aran in Kwara State, Chief Jide Adebayo, is dead.

He also a one-time Commissioner for Information, Youth, Sports and Culture in Kwara State (1999).

Adebayo died in a Lagos hospital on Thursday at the age of 66 during a brief illness.

Retired Major-General Lasisi Abidoye, a close friend of Adebayo, confirmed this in a statement on Friday morning.

Abidoye described Adebayo as “a fine journalist and a community leader per excellence, who will be greatly missed.

“Chief Eesa was a promoter of peace and unbiased community leader.

“He was an epitome of a good leader, a honest and God fearing fellow.”

He was Executive Director in charge of Marketing, one time Head of Lagos Operations, former Acting Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

He holds the News Reporting Course certificate of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos (1978) and University of Lagos Diploma in Mass Communication (1979).

Chief Adebayo, began his journalism career at The Herald Newspapers in Ilorin in 1974.

He served the organisation as a Proof Reader, Reporter, Senior Reporter and City Editor in Ilorin, Kaduna and Akure till August 1980, when he joined the News Agency of Nigeria as a Correspondent.

He was a one-time Secretary-General, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Kwara State Council (1981-1983) and Chairman NUJ, Niger State (1985-1987).

He is survived by his wife, Alice Ifedun (nee Adeleye), and blessed with children and grand children