Winner: Samson Folarin

A mass Communication graduate of the University of Lagos, Samson Folarin is a senior reporter and Acting Head of Metro Desk with The Punch newspaper. His work “Certificate, plagiarism, scandal rocks UNIZIK” is a nine-part investigative report that was first published on May 23, 2019.

The report revealed an academic fraud, intrigues, poor governance and subterfuge involving Peter Ekemezie, who masqueraded as a “scholar” for years. Peter Ekemezie was found to lack the certificate he claimed to have and with which he continued to be promoted at the Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka.

The investigation led to the sack of Peter Ekemezie and his Ph.D. certificate was withdrawn after nine years of cover up and protection by the system. It has also led to the clean up of the university system with Peter Ekemezie and the former Vice Chancellor being currently investigated by the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC.

Samson Folarin’s story depicts an individual’s effort and determination in contributing to the restoration of sanity and confidence into our higher institutions of learning. He is today celebrated as the winner of the print category of the 2019 Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting.

Runner up: Chinwe Agbeze

In her two-part investigative series, “Corruption ruins FG’s N7bn Unity Schools’ security project’’ published in The Sun newspaper on 25 June and 2 July 2019, Chinwe Agbeze uncovers massive corruption by education ministry officials in the implementation of the Federal Government’s multi-billion naira project to secure unity schools against kidnapping and insurgent attacks.

Chinwe Agbeze disguised as a government official and obtained the information that a Director of Finance and Accounts at the Federal Ministry of Education secured the contracts to provide security gadgets in one of the unity schools, thereby contravening Section 57 and 58 of the Public Procurement Act 2007. She also found out from the nine schools she visited that only four had partially benefitted from the security project. In an interesting turn of events some the projects had been completed by the time the reporter followed up on the schools.

With a Bachelor of Arts degree in Linguistics and Communication Studies from the University of Port Harcourt and a postgraduate diploma in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos. Chinwe Agbeze is a finalist in the print category of the Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting for the third time in a row.

Again, Chinwe (represented here today) is being honoured today as the runner-up for the print category in the 2019 Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting.

Commended work: Oladimaji Ramon

Trained as a veterinary surgeon, Oladimeji Ramon’s burning passion and strong inclination towards journalism switched to become a judiciary reporter with Punch Newspaper. His story “Lagos mobile court where the innocent, guilty are sent to prison” was published in The Punch of 25 June 2019. 

The piece was prompted by his recollection of a statement by Mr Tunde Ladipo, Controller of Prisons (now ‘correctional service’), on the congestion of the five prisons. Although the facilities have a holding capacity for 4,087 inmates they house more than double that number, partly due to daily mass arrest motivated by Lagos State government’s drive to generate revenue through environmental offenders.

Oladimeji Ramon observed during a court proceeding at a mobile court in Oshodi, Lagos, that irrespective of the plea of all the defendants brought forward, the magistrate still ordered their remand in prison custody after routinely imposing a bail of N50, 000 and additional N10, 000 to be deposited in the court’s registry.

For his courage and tenacity, Oladimeji Ramon is hereby commended in the print category of the 2019 Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting.

Winner: Isine Ibanga

“How bribe taking security operatives/gangs force Nigerians to pay dearly for food” published 9th April and 1st May 2019 in The Next Edition Newspaper by Isine Ibanga, is a two-part investigative report on the brazen illegality among security operatives on Nigeria’s highways and how this contributes to the high prices of goods in Nigeria.

Working undercover for weeks, Isine Ibanga, who is the Managing Editor, The NEXT EDITION Newspaper, obtained first-hand evidence of corruption and extortion of traders conveying food and livestock from the North to the South of the country by representatives of the police and army.

Isine Ibanga, joined a truck from Yola to Uyo to determine the reason for the high prices of goods and livestock. On the journey, he counted a total of 154 checkpoints mounted by different security agencies to extort money from traders. He discovered that traders conveying foodstuff and livestock between northern and southern Nigeria spend a minimum of N300, 000 per trip for bribes to security operatives thereby forcing traders to transfer the cost on ordinary Nigerians.

The story led the issuance of a police code of conduct on checkpoints and clamp down on illegal revenue collectors at checkpoints.

Isine Ibanga, who emerged a runner up in the online category of the 2014 edition of the award, is celebrated today as the winner of the same category.

Runner up: Chikezie Omeje

Inspired by the announcement in May 2018 that Nigeria was conducting world’s biggest HIV/AIDS impact survey to determine the actual number of people living with HIV in the country, Chikezie Omeje, Head of News at the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) in Abuja, set out to confirm how the figures that have been quoted over the years were generated.

Chikezie Omeje’s report, “Million meant for combating HIV/AIDS in Nigeria end up in private pockets” published on 28 December 2018 by ICIR, is an exposé into the mismanagement of funds for HIV testing in Nigeria. The story uncovered three fake firms that contracted by National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) for HIV testing services in nine states of the country. Despite receiving full payment for the purported activities, the firms did not conduct the services but submitted fake reports to NACA.

Chikezie Omeje is currently pursuing a Master of Science in data Journalism from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York. His curiosity in exposing in government agencies in Nigeria resonates with the mission of this initiative. He is honoured today as the runner up for the online category of the 2019 Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting and is here represented.

Commended work: Damilola Banjo

A graduate of Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan, Damilola Banjo, is a reporter with Sahara Reporters. Her four-part serial “Blood-Thirsty Demons of Zamfara”, published between April 5 and 28, 2019 by Sahara Reporters, put faces to statistics on people killed in the ongoing banditry in Zamfara. It chronicles the suffering and loss of civilians and members of the armed forces that have scoured out millions in ransom to have their relation returned or lost them forever.

Following the publication, a protest, which mounted pressure on the government to provide adequate security for, the residents held. This led to the strengthening of community policing by the Zamfara State Government.

Damilola Banjo is hereby commended for the story in the online category of the 2019 Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting.

Runner up: Odutayo Odusanya

With about two decades’ experience in street photography, visual and text journalism, as well as videography, Odutayo Odusanya who currently works as a Senior Photojournalist with Punch Newspaper is a sterling journalist.

Odutayo Odusanya took a tour of a town, Imoto Yewa in Ogun West Senatorial District of Ogun State, to do a visual storytelling of children forced into labour. His story “Child Labour” published in Punch of 8 November 2018 depicts how underaged children of primary school age are subjected to menial jobs during school hours.

The story reveals weaknesses in the enforcement of laws on child protection and survival and calls for thorough implementation of the Child’s Rights Act, which Nigeria signed unto in 2001 to protect the rights of children to education, protection and survival.

Odutayo Odusanya was runner-up in the photo category of the 2015 Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting. He is honoured today as the runner-up in the same category for capturing the reality of child labour in the country.

Commended Work: Saheed Olugbon

Saheed Olugbon is a photojournalist with Punch Newspaper. The Mass Communication graduate from Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, started his journalism career at the Nigeria Television Authority, Lagos. His photo “Fifteen Years after Retirement, Struggle Continues” captures the difficulty the retired employees of the defunct Nigeria Airways go through in the process of pension verification exercise by the Federal government, which is a required step for accessing their pension benefit.

Saheed Olugbon’s picture reveals the poor physical and financial state of these pensioners who are plagued with various sicknesses such as partial blindness, stroke, diabetes, just to mention a few.

For representing the true picture of many government retirees in Nigeria, Saheed Olugbon is hereby commended for his illustrative photograph.

Commended Work: Ayodele Adeniran

“Pupils lament pain, long trek in search of knowledge”, Ayodele Adeniran’s five-photograph report published in the Guardian of 16 January 2019, tells a visual story of school pupils in Lagos hinterlands and border towns, who trek three to four hours daily through bushy and flooded paths to access the nearest school to their communities, due to the absence of public school in the hinterland parts of Lagos and Ogun State.

With pictures, the Banking and Finance graduate from Lagos State University documented the plight of the school children, from Badagry, Agiliti area of Mile 12, and Makoko communities of Lagos, to Giwa-Okearo area and Aboru of Ogun State.

Ayodele Adeniran’s work is a sad illustration of the plight of public-school students and their quest to get education and the need for more schools in remote areas. Ayodele Adeniran is hereby commended for his efforts.

Runner up: Sharon Ijasan

“Child rights, labour laws violated by Chinese companies”, Sharon Ijasan’s two-part report, which aired on TVC News 16 and 25 June 2019, exposed the depressing exploitation of children by foreign companies. The story dug into and unearthed situation surrounding the death of 14-year old Joseph Ekwenobe, an underaged factory worker with Cheng Fa, a footwear company notorious for engaging children as workers in Lagos.

A reporter, producer and TV host at Television Continental (TVC), Sharon Ijasan holds a Higher National Diploma in Mass Communication from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism and a postgraduate degree in the same field from Babcock University.

With due diligence, Sharon discovered that the children are made to work long hours with poor pay, no breaks and exploited to use faulty equipment. One of these caused the death of Joseph Ekwenobe. The story drew the attention of the Lagos State Safety Commission and the factory was inspected and sealed up.

Commended: Samuel-Wemimo Bukola

Samuel-Wemimo Bukola, a broadcast-journalist is a news anchor with Television Continetal. Concerned about the rising cases of suicide in Nigeria, Samuel-Wemimo Bukola embarked on a five-month work to tell a story of triumph to counter the gloom that was being dangerously portrayed that suicide was an enviable option.

Bukola’s story “Depression and Suicide” aired on 1st September 2019 on TVC News, highlights the alarming rise of suicide with a critical look at depression as a mental health challenge that should be managed holistically. The story calls attention to other related issues such as stigmatisation and criminalisation of attempted suicide and the tragedy and triumph of victim’s families.

Commended Work: Mary Abayomi-Fatile

Mary Abayomi-Fatile is a crime reporter with Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Lagos. The first of her five-part investigative series “Alleged Police Extra-Judicial Killing of Madam Basirat Akinmushire’’ was aired on 10th October 2018 on Radio Nigeria.

Following allegation of extra-judicial killing of one Basirat Akinmushire by the Nigeria Police for allegedly hoarding arms for criminals, Abayomi-Fatile launched an investigation to unravel the real cause of Basirat’s death. Although threatened, intimidated and blackmailed, Mary forged ahead with her investigation to achieve justice for the dead.

Her findings revealed that the deceased, whom the police declared was a gunrunner, was arrested and tortured to death while in their custody. After her arrest, her family was prevented from seeing her for a long time before informing them of her death.

For exposing the pathetic story of how citizens are routinely killed extra-judicially, Mary Abayomi-Fatile is hereby commended in the radio category of the 2019 Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting.

Commended Work: Albert Oham

With a career spanning over thirty years, Albert Oham is the Cartoon Editor at The Sun Newspaper. His cartoon “N13.5 Million Sitting Allowance for Senators” published in 29 September 2019 edition calls attention of those in authority to the huge salary gap between teachers and senators.

The cartoon satirises the unequal pay system in Nigeria where some politicians collect millions of Naira as monthly remunerations while workers and citizens struggle to gain a wage of N30,000 a month.

Albert Oham was first runner-up in the 2012 edition of the Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting and was commended in the 2014 edition of the award.