A veteran radio reporter in Zamfara State, Hamisu Danjibga, has been found dead in a soakaway pit in his house three days after he was declared missing.

Gatherings made by news men revealed that the journalist was declared missing on Sunday.

Mr Danjibga worked with the Voice of Nigeria (VON) for several years before his death.

“I was informed by his family that he had not been seen since morning, so I started calling his line but it was unreachable. We couldn’t get him throughout that day,” he said in a phone interview.

The source said Mr Danjibga’s family informed the Correspondent Chapel and later the police.

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) confirmed the death of the journalist in a statement.

“Zamfara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists regret to announce the death of Hamisu Danjibga a reporter with Voice of Nigeria (VON) whose body was found in a sock away behind his house three days after missing.

“The discovery of his corpse was a result of an unpleasant odour observed by Islamiya Children in the evening of Wednesday 20th September 2023 who drew the attention of their teachers.

“After breaking the soak away the body was confirmed to be that of Danjibga by his family and some neighbours. His funeral rites have since been observed according to Islamic injunctions,” Ibrahim Ahmad, the NUJ secretary in Zamfara State said.

The union called on security agents to thoroughly investigate the matter and bring the perpetrators of the act to justice

In his lifetime as a reporter, Mr Danjibga was praised for his style of reporting. Several of his colleagues said his “broadcast voice” gave him an edge over others in the industry as he spent over three decades as a reporter.

Mr Danjibga reported extensively on the widespread insecurity in Zamfara State.

“May God forgive Hamisu Danjibga his shortcomings…. His main concern was the security situation, unknown to him that it would be the reason for his death…,” Ibrahim Zauma, the immediate former Director General of New Media at the Zamfara Government House said.

When contacted, the police spokesperson in Zamfara State, Yazeed Abubakar promised to get back to this reporter but has not done so for hours.