Grief hung heavily over the peaceful community of Obibiezena in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State on Friday, as the remains of Mr. Adibe Augustine Emenyonu, Edo State correspondent of ThisDay Newspaper were laid to rest.
The entire community paused in sorrow as family members, friends, colleagues, and sympathisers gathered to honour the veteran journalist who passed away suddenly in the early hours of Saturday, October 18, 2023.
The 62-year-old media professional is survived by his wife, four daughters, a 93-year-old mother, a brother, and extended family members.
Ahead of the burial, the Edo State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), led by Comrade Festus Alekhen, held a solemn lying-in-state ceremony on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, before the body was conveyed to his hometown in Obibiezena.
On Thursday morning, his remains were taken to his residence in Umuogida kindred, Emeka village, where kinsmen and colleagues including Chairman of the Edo NUJ Correspondents Chapel, Comrade Patrick Ochoga paid their last respects.
A funeral Mass followed at Saint Mary’s Catholic Parish, Obibiezena, where the Parish Priest, Rev. Father Jude Godwins, reminded the congregation that Christian faith is grounded in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
He urged the bereaved family to draw comfort from the late journalist’s devotion to God, describing him as a committed Christian.
Father Godwins encouraged the faithful to live exemplary lives patterned after Christ, noting that believers who die in faith will rise again on the last day.
He prayed for God’s mercy upon the departed and asked the community to be consoled by the worthy life Emenyonu lived.
After the Mass, the late journalist was interred at about 12:20 p.m. in his family compound in Obibiezena amidst tears, as his wife and children performed the symbolic dust-to-dust rite.
Speaking at the graveside, Comrade Ochoga described Emenyonu as a devoted father and a man deeply committed to his family.
“We are deeply pained by Oga Adibe’s passing, but comforted by the legacy he left behind,” he said. “He was a good man who worked tirelessly for his daughters, ensuring they received quality education. His devotion will remain evergreen in our hearts.
