Our media book of the week is Adventures of A Guerrilla Journalist by accomplished journalist and editor, Senator Babafemi Ojudu who was Special Adviser on Politics to the President in the last administration.
Comments by those who have read the book, including that of our Executive Director, Lekan Otufodunrin confirm that it’s a must-read for anyone who wants to know what being a Guerrilla journalist in Nigeria was when there was no guerrilla war.
Want to know some of the untold details of journalists being detained and jailed under the military administrations? Get your copy of the book.
Below are some comments by readers.
Dare-devil investigative journalism
I can claim to know some bits about some of the stories contained in the Adventures of A Guerrilla Journalist by Senator Babafemi Ojudu, but not the refreshingly detailed accounts of his experience being a dare-devil investigative journalist under the military regimes.
I was an active journalist myself during the period and was once locked up in a cell for a week while working briefly as News Editor at AM News for a story Ojudu, who was our editor, wrote about in his book.
As I read through the gripping accounts of what Ojudu and his colleagues at The News and Tempo experienced, I appreciated more the sacrifices he and many others made to battle the military to a standstill until they left.
I am an advocate of journalists writing books on their experiences for others to learn from and commend Ojudu for documenting his own story of being a Guerrilla Journalist. Hopefully, those who have not written about their experiences will do so that those suggesting the return of the military for whatever reasons will know better.
I was moved to tears at times and I just couldn’t continue
Bunmi Fatoye-Matory,
Writer, Activist and Osun priestess
I just finished reading your book. I would have finished before now because you write in a beautiful, engaging, accessible and fluid language. I could have read it in a day. But I had to put it down and collect myself for days. Your testimonies were so powerful that I was moved to tears at times and I just couldn’t continue. I, like, millions of Nigerians know about the “harassment of journalists” and other euphemisms for hostility towards the media during those times. I left Nigeria in January 1991. So I was a diaspora observer mostly. Dapo came to our apartment directly in Cambridge after he was spirited out.
Thank you so much for writing this book. I have never read a book like this. It is a story of courage, your indomitable spirit to resist oppression, to tell the truth to power, to stand on principles, and the willingness to pay the price. It is also a story about the fine craft of journalism and best practices. It is a media and political story. You are able to tell these layered stories in a personal way that educates and entertains us. Yes, I laughed at some of your anecdotes, even when the situation was serious. You were also generous to your peers. You acknowledged their roles and you were gracious. You gave us an insight into your antecedents, and how you are influenced by the work and values of your parents and ancestors. I, absolutely, like the full-throat acknowledgement of your bride, her love, steadfastness, and bravery.
Your book reveals the darkness and wickedness of Man
Lawunmi (Anthony)
I got your new book “Adventure of a Guerrilla Journalist” and stayed up to read all the twenty-five chapters in the book. Thanks for your fearlessness, honesty and fight for the betterment of Nigeria and its people.
Your book reveals the darkness and wickedness of Man, especially the kidnapping and butchering of an innocent pregnant woman for ritual. That story of kidnapping and killing of a pregnant woman and others got me sad and crying for JUSTICE for the innocent. Can’t these killers be brought to Justice? It’s just not fair for the injustice and suffering being caused to powerless people. May God of Abraham and Israel help us fight injustice and help the powerless. I also pray that the God of Abraham, Israel, and of our Lord Jesus Christ protects you always. Thank you for the story and commitment to a better society.
What real altruistic journalists go through
O’seun Ogunseitan
The real danger of fake news and dubious journalism practice today is that the real heroes and heroines of yesterday’s altruistic journalism practice are not rich today, cannot be rich and will hardly ever be rich. Those who take after them too, will hardly fare better if they are to continue allowing their conscience to guide their practice.
Ironically, many of yesterday’s best journalism hands may sadly struggle in poverty, lack and want all through their retirement till the end of their lives, particularly if they somehow never had any other skills or engaged in any other businesses. Yet, they will never change and call blue, a shade of green or grey, a variant of white.
Journalism is sadly today, one of the world’s most troubled, yet popular professions. But it is a thankless profession, driven more by passion among people most will wonder if they do not want the good things in life. If unsure of what real altruistic journalists go through mostly unsung, please get a copy of Babafemi Ojudu’s journalism practice memoir, “The Adventures of a Guerilla Journalist.”
The essence of journalism as both an art and a perilous mission
Adesola Odunlade, Radio journalist
Earlier this morning, I finished reading Senator Babafemi Ojudu’s The Adventures of a Guerrilla Journalist—a masterpiece intricately woven with language, style, facts, and narration, befitting a reporter of the author’s calibre.
The book is an exposé on events in Nigeria that seldom make it to the pages of newspapers but vividly depict the sacrifices made by courageous individuals to secure the democracy we enjoy today.
From journeys to Gashua, Iseyin, Kaduna, and various prisons—both known and obscure—across Nigeria, to encounters beyond the country’s borders, the book captures the essence of journalism as both an art and a perilous mission. It chronicles the resilience of men and women who, against all odds, were determined to inform and educate the public, often at the risk of their own lives.
I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of Nigeria and its key players beyond surface narratives.
