Yakubu Mohammed, co-founder of Newswatch magazine and its former deputy CEO, has passed away at the age of 75 after battling an undisclosed illness. His death comes barely two months after the passing of fellow co-founder Dan Agbese.

Born on April 4, 1950, in Ologba, Kogi State, Mohammed had a distinguished journalism career spanning several decades. He began at New Nigerian Newspapers before moving to National Concord. In 1984, he co-founded Newswatch alongside Dan Agbese, Ray Ekpu, and Dele Giwa, helping establish the magazine as a leading voice in investigative journalism during Nigeria’s military era.

In October 2025, he released his memoir, Beyond Expectations, chronicling Newswatch’s formative years, including the controversy surrounding Dele Giwa’s assassination in 1986.

Mohammed also served in leadership roles beyond journalism, including as pro-chancellor and chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University’s governing council, and as director of Yadara Nigeria Limited and Lastop Limited. He was a respected member of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, the Commonwealth Journalists’ Association, and the Nigerian Guild of Editors.

His passing marks the loss of another key figure from Newswatch’s founding generation, leaving a lasting legacy in Nigerian journalism.