In the last seven days, seven Nigerian journalists have died from COVID-19 and other illnesses.
On the list are Dan Foster (Cool FM & City FM), Hugo Odiogor (former Editor at the Vanguard), Xavier Ndayongmong (Crime Editor at Daily Independent), Nkiruka Udoh (Crime and Defence Correspondent at AIT), Naomi Uzor (Business Desk at the Vanguard), Aramide Praise Oikelome (the Media Project and Independent Newspapers), and Azeez Ozi Sanni (Cartoonist at The Nation).
Nigerian Journalists have been facing huge risks and unprecedented challenges as frontline workers covering the novel Coronavirus outbreak and reporting in the newsroom every day.
The death of one of them, Dan Foster, was announced on June 17 via different social media platforms. His wife, Lovina, confirmed to Channels Television that he was tested for the COVID-19 and the result came back positive on Tuesday and he died on Wednesday.
Foster worked with Cool FM, Inspiration FM, City FM, Classic FM 97.3, among others.
Another journalist, Nkiruka Udoh, a Crime and Defence Correspondent at the Africa Independent Television was said to have died of complications from fibroid operation.
A correspondent on the Business Desk at the Vanguard Newspaper, Naomi Uzor, was also reported to have died from complications related to high blood pressure.
Also, Azeez Sanni, who was a Cartoonist at The Nation Newspaper was among the journalists that died in the last seven days. A source close to him said he had been battling with a liver problem before his eventual death
Other journalists, who died in the last seven days but the nature of their deaths could not be ascertained were Xavier Ndayongmong, the Crime Editor at Daily Independent; Hugo Odiogor, a former Editor at Vanguard and Aramide Oikelome of the Media Project and Independent Newspapers.
May the souls of these heroes rest well.
