Benue: Media, Kaura, Imongo, Gugugugu

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I really don’t understand why a large convergence of journalists and media representatives back in the days in Benue State between 1988 and 1995 or thereabout with all the characters that came with them – The good, the bad and the ugly. Though there may be more media representation now, but it was really a crowd then to have so many correspondents in a such a semi-urban town like Makurdi, the state capital, and not too “big” state like Benue.

Perhaps the editors had a better backdrop of the politics and people of the Benue State among others that knitted and sharped the “Middlebelt” movement and agitations.

But, somehow, there were lots of activities and programmes around the state with a greater part of Igala speaking side of Kogi State being part of Benue. It was actually huge.

I arrived Makurdi sometimes in March, 1989 as State Correspondent of Champion Newspapers inaugurated on 1, October, 1988, after a very short spell in Kaduna. I had wanted to work in Kaduna where I was born and grew up hoping for better reconnect with my old paddies.

At 25, I was full of energy and many ideas that I wanted to explore for Champion Newspapers but after my engagement and posting to Kaduna, I was recalled alongside correspondents Ody Chukwube from Enugu and Austen Bash, from Benin (Who later became Editor of Daily Champion) for what the Editorial Board termed “More Orientation” in January, 1989 and I was moved to my own Benue State.

Well, not a bad idea and I can equally connect with my people and relate more.

During my sojourn in Benue State, Military President Ibrahim Babangida officially visited twice, during the administration of Governor Lt. Col. Fidelis Makka, arguably the executive who, to some extend, physically developed Makurdi and Benue State. That’s a story for another day.

Late Suleiman Mohammed Kaura, “Imongo”, “Gugugugu”

But, taking on a full media career, I was interested in making an impact for Champion Newspapers and got some attractions with some colleagues in Makurdi. 

Though, I have strong passion for the print media, I got huge inspiration from Alhaji Suleiman Mohammed Kaura of Radio Nigeria, Kaduna, (who passed away on January 17, 2026), who was already reporting from Makurdi. Initially, I thought he was the only Radio Nigeria correspondent assigned to send stories to the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), network news but later realized that it was just dedication to work to feed the network service.

A lot older and experienced, we related a great deal because I wanted a push.

Whenever we are done with assignments, within few minutes, Kaura would be on the phone relating the story to Radio Nigeria, Kaduna, first, in both English and Hausa, and the voiceover almost immediately, before hooking up with the Radio Nigeria network. He does so, somehow effortlessly. Many times, due to poor telephone network in Makurdi, Kaura and I will drive in his reliable 504 Peugeot Salon car to NITEL Station, Otukpo to file stories. We did this so many times. Though mine was easier as a would neatly draft my stories on a clean newsprint and fax. One dial on fax at Otukpo will provide an instant tone at the other end and zoom, the story goes. We realised that Otukpo had better telephony connectivity. Not surprising, as then Minister of Communications, Oga David Mark might have insisted on quality equipment for NITEL at Otukpo because the services were super.

My six years work sojourn in Makurdi was superlative. Work, fun, exuberance, mischief, more mischief, name it. We will travel to Gboko to cover football matches involving BCC Lion FC and you think after the encounter, we return to Makurdi? No way, after filing the scores and highlights of the match, some of us would stay back to have more fun before returning. Gboko was fun. BCC Limited was at its peak and news coverage at the factory situated especially the Annual General Meetings (AGMs) at Tse Kucha presided by the Board Chairman, Ambassador Yahaya Kwande (I learnt he is now the traditional ruler in his homestead in Plateau State), was really exciting. There are always strong business news angles. Suleiman Adara, Chris Echikwu, Eugene Ivase and Samuel Kaalu made our work light at BCC.  During Governor Makka, I met Chief John Omanchi as Chief Press Secretary. A calm gentleman from Daily Times background. Makka later appointed him Commissioner of Information at the twilight of his administration.

My last WhatsApp engagement with late Kaura in December, 2025

There were many characters at the Press Secretary office but especially Owoicho who was almost always sleeping.Within the media space, there was Aham MacNathan whom we called “Doctor”. He took over from Samuel Abasilim at Daily Times, a complete opposite of Doctor. Faruk Adejo-Audu, a school mate at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Ogba, Lagos, came in for Punch. A first-class reporter who later became Chief Press Secretary to former Speaker of the House of Representative, late Ghali NaAbba. Think of Tom Chiahemen, whose tutelage under Godwin Daba Adzuanah of the Broom newspaper still lives in his vein. My good friend, Sunday Onoja also reported for the Broom. He later became a pastor. Maver Chen, a lady of strong character, was of the Nigeria Standard. Dr. Bala Ahmed II also had a spell with the Nigeria Standard in Makurdi. He is now the Registrar, Nasarawa State University, Keffi. A shrewd and calculative reporter he was.

There was France Ndulue of Daily Star. A lonely, who gets friendly at the wrong time. Sunday Orinya of The News magazine is now a lecturer in the Department of Political Science, Federal University of Lafia and the branch Chairman of ASUU and Ocheme Adoga, who retired as Director from National Directorate of Employment (NDE), and was with Kaduna based The Reporter Newspaper, went in pairs. Faruk usually calls Adoga “Dumboy” for a peculiar reason.

There were Osita Agha, J.N.J Okafor and Nnadozie Oshigbo, all reporting for Radio Nigeria, Enugu. The best of Agha unfolded during one of the visits of President Babangida to Benue State and the whole media were hosted to a party. That was when I learnt how to dance with one leg from Agha. A funny twist from a character of brawn.

There was also Peter Omale from Radio Nigeria, Ibadan whom I later met in Jos after he joined ThisDay. He passed away while covering the Presidential Villa, Abuja during the tenure of Olusegun Obasanjo. He had a lovely Volkswagen Beatle.

I cherished our relationship late Kaura even after I left Makurdi for Jos and later Maiduguri. Back to Abuja in 2008, we reconnected and relived our times in Makurdi.

We recalled a rendezvous with then Chairman of Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, Samuel Ortom who later became Governor of the state, where he asked some media personnel to connect with him at a place along Makurdi to Gboko Road for something he called “Imongo” in Tiv language.

We were later to realised that it was just a kind of get to gather without clear reason but socialise. So, we started saying “Imongo” if we wanted to run away from colleagues for a “private” time.

Another slogan, Kaura and I say is “Gugugugu” in reference to a former National President of Nigeria Union of Teachers who was in Makurdi for a national delegates conference. I can’t remember his name but he was from Ibadan and had a very large followership.

He seems a man of “nourishment” and every step he took, there was a shout of “Gugugugu” and adopted the slogan with Kaura.

Though, late Kuara added me to a WhatsApp platform, “SMK Limited” which he created on 17, June, 2025, I was a passive participant because discussions centred on pension activities concerning retirees of Radio Nigeria, Kaduna.

But, in the first week of January, 2026, I saw a list of financial contributors on the platform. I really did bother not knowing that it was meant for Sulieman Kaura’s medical needs coordinated by one Aisha Mansur Hashim. I sent my token. Kaura sadly passed away in the morning of Saturday, January 17, 2026.

Lesson learnt. Journalists and media personnel MUST look out of the box to engage in genuine extra activities to earn extra monies. Establish a hair cut salon, provision stores, poultry, name it. Kaura dedicated all his life to the course of the media and Radio Nigeria but at the end struggled with a meagre pension that is not regular.

Surely, journalists MUST learn the business of the media to earn more. We have brains and talents to utilise. Many people out there are not better than media personnel but only have the opportunity in places of influence. Nothing stops us from becoming top millionaires. Let’s push to ease the pains of colleagues who passed away due to dedication to the job, which Suleiman Mohammed Kaura was one. So long “Imongo”. Na so I see am. QED.