Yakubu Mohammed, a co-founder of the influential Newswatch magazine and its former deputy chief executive officer, has died at the age of 75.
Mohammed was said to have battled an undisclosed illness before his death. As of the time of filing this report, no official statement had been released by his family.
His passing comes barely two months after the death of his close associate and fellow Newswatch co-founder, Dan Agbese, who died on November 17, 2025, after a prolonged illness—deepening the sense of loss within Nigeria’s media community.
In October 2025, Mohammed published his memoir, Beyond Expectations, in which he chronicled the rise of Newswatch and reflected on the magazine’s formative years. The book revisited defining moments in its history, including the turmoil that followed the 1986 assassination of founding editor-in-chief Dele Giwa and the subsequent struggle for control of the publication.
Mohammed co-founded Newswatch in 1984 alongside Agbese, Ray Ekpu, and Giwa, helping to build the magazine into a powerhouse of investigative journalism during Nigeria’s military era. His death marks another significant loss to the pioneering generation that shaped the magazine’s fearless editorial tradition.
Born on April 4, 1950, Mohammed hailed from Ologba in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State. His educational journey took him through St Joseph’s Primary School, Ayangba; Government Secondary School, Okene; the University of Lagos; and the Glasgow College of Technology in Scotland.
He began his journalism career at New Nigerian Newspapers, where he rose to associate editor and later managing editor. He later joined National Concord, progressing from deputy editor to editor before co-founding Newswatch.
At Newswatch, Mohammed served in several leadership capacities, including executive editor, managing editor, and deputy chief executive officer of Newswatch Communications Limited.
Beyond journalism, he was a director at Yadara Nigeria Limited and Lastop Limited, and held memberships in the Nigerian Union of Journalists, the Commonwealth Journalists’ Association, and the Nigerian Guild of Editors. He also served as pro-chancellor and chancellor of the governing council of Ahmadu Bello University.
Mohammed’s death closes another chapter in Nigeria’s media history, leaving behind a legacy of courage, professionalism, and commitment to investigative journalism.