Somtochukwu Christelle Maduagwu was only 29. A lawyer, a beauty queen, a journalist whose voice carried brightly on ARISE TV. She had a future heavy with promise. Then, in a flash of gunfire on the streets of Abuja, she was gone. Not by illness, not by accident—but by the silence of a country that has made truth-telling a dangerous occupation.
Her killing is not an isolated tragedy. It is a loud reminder of the shadows Nigerian journalists walk through every day. To pick up a microphone or a pen in this country is to risk a target on your back. Violence lurks from both state and non-state actors—intimidation, beatings, arbitrary arrests, surveillance. The message is clear: “Speak too loudly, and you may not see tomorrow.”
Yet journalists are not warriors for themselves alone. They are the mirrors of society, the watchdogs who hold leaders to account, the chroniclers of corruption, injustice, and abuse. When fear drives them into silence, who speaks for the people? When truth is strangled, democracy gasps for air.
Imagine the stories that never get written because a reporter is threatened. Imagine the truths buried in silence because a newsroom has been raided. Every attack on a journalist is not just an assault on one person—it is an assault on all Nigerians’ right to know, to question, to demand better.
We must say enough. Enough of empty condolences after another journalist is beaten or killed. Enough of leaving those who defend democracy exposed and unprotected. Nigeria needs urgent reform:
Stronger laws that do not just exist on paper but are enforced to punish those who harm media workers.
Protection mechanisms—hotlines, safe shelters, legal support—that give journalists a lifeline when danger strikes.
Institutional support from government, civil society, and media owners to guarantee safety training, insurance, and rapid response when attacks occur.
The death of Somtochukwu must not fade into another forgotten headline. It should ignite a national reckoning. If Nigeria is to grow, if democracy is to breathe, journalists must be free to work without looking over their shoulders.
Somtochukwu’s light was cut short, but her story should fuel our urgency. Journalists should not be martyrs for truth. They should be protected voices, speaking boldly, so that Nigeria itself can stand tall.
Because when a journalist dies, a part of our democracy dies with them. And we cannot afford another funeral.
Linus Anagboso.
D-BiG PEN.
