Malam Hamisu Haruna Danjibga: The Demise Of An Investigative Journalist

By Ibrahim Muhammad

NEWSDAILYNIGERIA: Though I can’t say When and how he began his career as Journalist, I can say with out fear of contradiction that he chose Journalism Profession out of his passion and desire to fight for justice and equity in the Society, the course which he eventually died for. His name sounded loudly in my ears and eyes before I came into Physical contact with him in 1994, for I used to see his bylines on the now rested Kaduna based Hausa Vernacular Newspaper called Nasiha.

His Human angle stories delighted me seriously and made me eager to meet him in Person and When we formally met in Ƙaura Namoda, headquarters Of Ƙaura Namoda Local Government Area of then Sokoto State in 1994 at a function held in the Palace of the then District head of Ƙaura Namoda /Sarkin Kiyawan Ƙaura Namoda, Late Alhaji Ahmad Muhammadu Asha it was like we had known each other for decades. I can’t remember the medium he represented then while I was there to cover the event for the Path Newspaper, a Production of the Sokoto Newspaper Company where I worked as Reporter.

From that time we cultivated and nurtured a special bond between us that saw us working harmoniously till his demise recently.

From him I learnt that for you to succeed as Journalist you need determination, commitment, contentment, resilience, honesty, sincerity, integrity, patience and above all fear of God.

He and I took a trip to some major Media Houses across Nigeria in September, 2003 as Part of efforts to build a healthy relationship between operators of such Media Houses and the then Zamfara State Government where I was serving as The Director Of Press Affairs to the then Executive Governor, His Excellency, Senator Ahmad Sani Yariman Bakura. The trip gave me an ample opportunity to clearly saw such traits of honesty, integrity, trust and professionalism in him which further cemented our relationship till his death.

His nose for news and the methods he used to cunningly unearth the scoops stood him out amongst his peers for he always broke the news first thereby making his Colleagues to be on the defensive whenever their editors called for an explanation about the happenings around their beats.

His involvement with Government as Caretaker Councillor in his native Tsafe Local Government in the late 1990s and his appointment as Member, Zamfara State Procurement Board by The Former Executive Governor, Bello Mohammed Matawallen Maradun MON Administration did not make him shift ground from being the fearless, uncompromising, investigate Journalist in both Principles and Practice till his return to his Creator.

Malam Hamisu Haruna Ɗanjibga you have gone to the great beyond, the good lessons I learnt from you in our about 3 decades of close interaction will forever remain fresh and practicable by me and I believe by all those who had an opportunity to know you in this field of Journalism.

Allah ya yafe maka kura-kuran ka, ya jiƙan ka da rahamar sa, ya kyauta bayan ka, amin.

Ibrahim Muhammad Ɗanmadamin Birnin Magaji, a former Zamfara State Information / Budget and Economic Planning Commissioner wrote from Gusau, Zamfara State. 22/09/2023.