Jide Oyekunle Of Daily Independent Bags NUJ Press Freedom Torchbearer Award
In a rousing celebration of courage and commitment to truth, Daily Independent journalist and Secretary of the NUJ FCT Council, Comrade Jide Oyekunle, has been honoured with the 2025 Torchbearer of Press Freedom Award by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
The award, presented during the Press Freedom and Good Governance Awards held in Abuja on Saturday, recognises journalists who have demonstrated uncommon bravery in the face of threats, harassment, and arrests while carrying out their professional duties.
Oyekunle, known for his fearless reporting, has survived multiple attacks, including a near-fatal incident on 19 January 2022, when he was assaulted by armed thugs during coverage of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu’s trial at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
He was again arrested and brutalised during the #EndBadGovernance protest in 2024, resulting in the damage of his Canon camera and seizure of his mobile phone by security operatives.
Despite these ordeals, Oyekunle has remained undeterred. “This award will spur me to continue to defend and protect press freedom,” he said, dedicating the honour to his colleagues at the NUJ FCT Council.
NUJ National President, Comrade Alhassan Yahya, lauded the awardees as the “pillars of democracy” and emphasised the crucial role of a free press in ensuring accountability. “Press freedom is not a privilege, but a fundamental right,” he stated.
Also recognised in the Torchbearer category were journalists from The Punch, Daily Times, Pointer, and TVC News.
The Good Governance Awards went to notable public figures and institutions including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Governors Uba Sani and Nasir Idris, and the National Bureau of Statistics.
With voices like Oyekunle’s refusing to be silenced, the press in Nigeria continues to stand as a beacon of hope for democracy and justice.
