Mr. Demola Abimboye, my colleague and friend, called me on Monday, November 17, 2025 around 2:14pm to break the sad news of the death of our Oga to me. He simply said, Tobs, Oga Dan is dead. Silence followed for a moment. A few seconds later, Demola broke the silence to confirm if I heard him well. Hello Tobs, he echoed from his end of the phone. I answered him. “This is a very sad news to give me this hot afternoon”, I replied. He apologized and said: Sorry Tobs. Take it easy. I have been crying since I got the news from Lagos. I know it’s a news none of us could hold longer. Our Boss is Gone”, he concluded. I took time to digest the information and wondered why this should happen now. Our boss, Dan Agbese, dead? Surprising!
Dan Agbese was boss to all who passed through him in Newswatch. As the Editor-in-Chief when I joined Newswatch as Assistant Editor in 1997 till I left in 2012 as Senior Associate Editor, to set up Verbatim News Network, with a number of former Newswatch editors, Dan was the boss. But he was never bossy. He was our teacher, our guardian and media practitioner per excellence. He knew everybody’s limitation and regularly ensured that virtually every script for final editing passed through him from the newsroom. Indeed, all passed through him as a rule and tradition in Newswatch, and never returned without reaching near perfection , and the writer must be told where he got anything wrong.
Agbese left lasting impression, in one way or the other on virtually everybody that passed through him. Mine was on how he treated my first cover story script. I recall my first experience in writing a cover story in Newswatch; the joy of every editor under his watch. It was a cover story on Nigeria’s Military Leader, General Sani Abacha disguised transition, from military head of state to civilian head of state.
It was assigned to me to anchor, with reports and research work supplied by a number of reporters, as was the tradition in Newswatch. It took two clear days to reach Agbese’s desk, as it had to move from my table, through the General Editor’s desk in the newsroom to the Editor-in-Chief’s desk. When the script was about to come out from Agbese’s office, I got a call from his office assistant, Samuel, informing me that “Oga wants to see you”. It was a signal that I did not score grade ‘A’ with the cover-story-writing examination.
When I summoned courage to move into his office, Dan smiled and called me “Onye Igbo” (meaning, the man from Igbo land) and I answered, ‘Sir’. He said, “You have tried in writing this story. Take a look at it and see how it is now. Next time, I expect a better performance” . I thanked him, read through it and couldn’t recognize the story again. Dan Agbese had turned the story around, with input from the General Editor.
He also asked me about my ambition in life and I told him three things: to be a journalist, a media owner and a politician. He recorded it and reproduced it in his Editor-in-Chief’s column in Newswatch. His comment about me read in part: “From a Reporter, to a Publisher, then to Politician: Tobs Agbaegbu is on the away”. This was one of the sweetest things Dan wrote about me and I really appreciated him for that.
Significantly, he was prophetic, in a way, as it turned out to be years later. I took a leave of absence from Newswatch, to serve as Media Assistant to Professor Fabian Osuji, who was then, Nigeria’s Minister of Education, under President Olusegun Obasanjo. This was between 2003 – 2005 and I later returned to Newswatch when the job ended. Dan also approved my return.
I remained his cherished staff ( like others, of the editorial department) till 2012, when the birth of Verbatim News Network became imperative. Dan never parted ways with me, even when I took my final exit from the organisation. He remained supportive of Verbatim in many ways.
Among others, he graciously accepted to write for Verbatim as lead columnist from inception. One of his comments about Verbatim remains memorable till date. In his congratulatory message, when the first edition of Verbatim hit the newsstands, Dan Agbese said assertively, “…this edition of Verbatim is good. “Indeed, Verbatim is Newswatch Pikin”. Congratulations to you ,Onye Igbo. And your colleagues”
I will miss Dan Agbese. Who can fill his gap? Who will know me inside out to nickname me Onye Igbo? Well, I take solace in the fact that he is resting in the bossom of the Lord, where we shall meet to part no more, in accordance with our Catholic faith.
Like Shakespeare said in Julius Caesar, “…the heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes’’. comforting too, J.K. Rowling wrote, “To the well organized mind, death is but next great adventure”. “We know you would be here with us today if heaven was not so far away”. – Ananymous.
Fare thee well, Chief, Daniel Ochima Agbese, the Awan’Otun of Agila; Co-founder of the iconic Newswatch, media icon and author of many books. We will never forget you, Oga. Rest well in the bosom of the Lord!
On behalf of the entire staff and management of Verbatim News Magazine, I sincerely condole with the family and friends of Chief Dan Agbese, and the entire members of Newswatch family.
Peace Perfect Peace!!
