Newswatch Magazine Co-founder, Yakubu Mohammed Is Dead

— Late Yakubu Mohammed

By St. Johnson Adegboyega

THE co-founder and former deputy chief executive officer of Newswatch magazine, Yakubu Mohammed, has died, aged 75.

Mohammed, born on April 4, 1950, reportedly died late Tuesday night in Lagos after a prolonged illness.

A native of Ologba in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, Mohammed had a distinguished journalism career spanning several decades, serving in various capacities at New Nigerian Newspapers and National Concord before co-founding Newswatch, where he rose to become Managing Editor and later Deputy Chief Executive Officer.

Mohammed, alongside Dele Giwa, Ray Ekpu and Dan Agbese founded Newswatch in 1984, establishing it as a leading voice in investigative journalism during Nigeria’s military era. Giwa was killed on October 19, 1986, through a parcel bomb.

The late veteran journalist published his memoir in October 2025 titled “Beyond Expectations”, which chronicled the history of Newswatch and offered personal insights into the magazine’s formative years, including the controversy surrounding the 1986 assassination of founding editor-in-chief, Giwa, and the subsequent struggle for control of the influential magazine.

THE co-founder and former deputy chief executive officer of Newswatch magazine, Yakubu Mohammed, has died, aged 75.