By: Our Reporter, Delta
Two journalists covering the Niger Delta have died in separate incidents.
While a correspondent with the National Mirror, Emma Gbemudu died on Saturday, a journalist with the Pointer Newspaper, owned by the Delta State Government, Mr Cyril Urude, died in an accident in Abuja, on Friday.
Mr. Urude, 38, died in a motor accident involving a commercial motorcycle popularly known as Okada and a lorry in the Federal Capital.
The deceased was on secondment from the pointer with the
Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), as a Personal
Assistant to the Deputy Executive Secretary (Technical) of the Commission, Dr Sharon Oriero-Oviemuno, before his death.
Mr. Urude, who had covered various beats for the state-owned newspaper, relocated to Abuja barely two months ago.
Sources close to him told our reporter that his decision to go on secondment outside the Pointer newspapers based in Asaba, was to move closer to his family in Abuja.
Born on April 6, 1976, the journalist got married on April 6, 2009 and had celebrated his marriage anniversary a few weeks before he died this month.
Until his untimely death, the deceased was pursuing a second degree at the Delta State University, Oleh Campus, where he was studying Law.
The deceased got his first degree in geology at DELSU and mostly covered the oil-rich Isoko axis of the state.
He was the pioneer founder of Champion’s World Entertainment, organisers of Isoko Most Beautiful Girl Pageant which had run eleven editions over the years. He is survived by a wife, three kids, siblings and aged parents.
Family members confirmed that the remains of the deceased have been transferred from Abuja and deposited at a morgue in Oleh Central Hospital, Isoko South Local Government Area.
According to members of the family, a service of songs will be held in his honour on Tuesday 22nd April, at his family compound behind Urusewe street, Oleh at 5 pm, to be followed by a requiem mass at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Oleh, on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Bayelsa State correspondent of the National Mirror newspapers, Mr. Gbemudu was said to have slumped and died in his home at Agudama-Epie in Yenagoa, while discussing with his wife in the early hours of Saturday.
The Bayelsa State Chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) has expressed shock at the sudden death of Mr. Gbemudu, who was said to have been hale and hearty at the time of his sudden death.
Family members have confirmed that the corpse of Mr. Gbemudu, 40, has since been deposited at the Mortuary of the Federal Medical Centre in Yenagoa.
