I bow in grief at the passing of Chief Ben Adaji.
Adaji belonged to that rare breed of journalists who chased stories others feared to touch, shining light into corners where silence had taken root. His byline in The News carried weight because his work carried courage.
Combative when he needed to be, but principled always, controversy trailed him. In exposing societal evils, he was detained several times for his watch and for the words he put in black and white. But the cell doors only sharpened his resolve to return to the newsroom and speak for those who could not speak for themselves.
Whenever we were on Journalists’ Hangout, anchored by Yusuf Sanda, our audience would glue themselves to their TVs. They knew Adaji as a voice that refused to be bought or bullied. He understood that journalism, at its best, is an act of service.
Later in life, Adaji took his fight into politics and built friendships with leaders across the divide. It was a natural transition for a man who had spent decades diagnosing the ills of society and could no longer be content with merely reporting them.
Rooted to his people, Ben yesterday left Jalingo for Kogi and opened his home to his countrymen. When exhaustion finally caught up with him, he said, “Let me enter the room and rest.” It was a final rest.
The newsrooms will feel quieter without him. The public square lonelier. His still, but his stories will not be forgotten. He lived as he wrote. May he rest as he lived: in peace.
