DOGGED SOLOMON ADEBAYO

Winner, RADIO REPORTING, AT THE 24TH DAME

Solomon Adebayo is a reporter with a deep commitment to a journalism that is socially responsible. In his winning work, KILLING GABRIEL, he displayed an alert social consciousness and fascinating tenacity to get the story out. Adebayo took up the story of a missing teenager, Gabriel Agaba, who was arrested for burglary and handed over to the police. Whilst in police custody, the police resorted to being the investigating officer, prosecutor, judge and executioner. In the end, they killed him extra judiciously and placed every obstacle available to them to hide the truth. They simply denied Gabriel was ever in their custody.

Adebayo took up the story and in four reports from 2nd June to 2nd July 2014 kept the story in the public consciousness.

Eventually the police authorities investigated Adebayo’s reports and were able to establish that one corporal Kingsley Patrick pulled the trigger to the knowledge of his divisional bosses. Following an orderly room trial Kingsley was dismissed and recommended for prosecution.

A 1995 graduate of English from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Adebayo showed in his reports uncommon courage and refreshing commitment to the good traditions of investigative journalism. He comes across as a crusader for a noble cause. A two-time past winner of the DAME Prize for Radio Reporting in 2008 and 2009, Adebayo is serving notice that like good wine, he is getting better with age.