RFI correspondent, Tasi’u Zakari, dies in Plateau, Al-makura, others mourn

Tasiu Zakari, a broadcast journalist with Radio France International (RFI) Hausa Service, has died following a brief illness.

Mr Zakari died on Tuesday morning at Sauki Hospital, located behind the Plateau State House of Assembly in Jos.

His death was confirmed by Mohammed Shittu, zonal editor of Blueprint newspaper, Jos office.

Mr Shittu said Mr Zakari’s son, Zaharadeen, disclosed that his father had suffered a brief illness before his death.

The deceased was buried at the Zakalio Muslim Cemetery along Jos-Bauchi Road, Jos, following the funeral prayer.

According to Zaharadeen, Mr Zakari left behind two wives and six children—three males and three females.

“He left behind six of us as his children: my elder sister, myself, two other males and two other females.

“He also left behind our mother and our step mother,” Zaharadeen said.

He described his late father as a caring father and a promoter of peace.

The RFI editor, Bashir Idris, who attended the funeral and burial, described Zakari as one of the best staff members the organisation had.

“I have known Tasiu Zakari for more than 40 years.

At the time, he was a teacher at Government Secondary School, Laranto, Jos, while I was a teacher at St. Paul’s Jenta Primary School, Jos.

“He later joined the Plateau Radio Television Corporation (PRTV) as a newscaster.

“When we started Radio France International, I recommended him as our correspondent, and we worked together for more than a decade.

“He was one of our best staff members among our correspondents.

He impacted greatly on our listenership,” Mr Idris said.

He described Mr Zakari’s death as a great loss to RFI and the entire media landscape in Nigeria.

Chuwang Dungs, PREMIUM TIMES’ correspondent in Plateau, who had known Mr Zakari for nearly three decades, described him as a humble and kind journalist.
The correspondent said his relationship with Mr Zakari dated back to his days as a student in junior secondary school, when the late journalist taught him Hausa.

He said their relationship continued years later when both were active in journalism, including during his tenure as chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Nasarawa State.

He described Mr Zakari as a journalist whose humility and kindness remained consistent throughout the decades he knew him.

‘He was a perfect gentleman’

Among those mourning Mr Zakari was Sani Mu’azu, Makama of Jos North, who said he received the news of his death with “profound shock and sadness.”

Mr Mu’azu said he and Mr Zakari began their journalism careers around the same period and that their professional paths crossed during their formative years in the industry.

He described the late journalist as “quiet, laid-back, soft-spoken and deeply committed to his profession.”

Mr Mu’azu said he briefly worked with Mr Zakari at the Plateau Radio Television Corporation (PRTV), where he witnessed his dedication to broadcasting and his professionalism.

He said their relationship went beyond being colleagues, noting that they were young journalists who came from similar beginnings and faced many of the challenges associated with the profession.

According to him, although their professional paths later diverged, their relationship remained cordial.

Mr Mu’azu said while he eventually left mainstream journalism for filmmaking, Mr Zakari continued to work as a reporter.

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He said their paths continued to cross, particularly because he sometimes became part of the stories Mr Zakari was reporting.

“Whenever we met, however, the old warmth and camaraderie remained,” Mr Mu’azu said.

In a condolence message, former Nasarawa State Governor, Umaru Al-Makura, prayed to God to forgive the shortcomings of the deceased and grant him eternal rest.

He described late Mr Zakari as a dedicated and experienced journalist, while urging the bereaved family to bear the loss with fortitude and accept the will of God.