Isine Ibanga wins Wole Soyinka investigative journalist of the year award

Isine Ibanga, a correspondent with The Next Edition, an online newspaper, has won the 2019 Wole Soyinka investigative journalist award.

The award was conferred on Ibanga at the 14th edition of the Wole Soyinka award for investigative reporting on Monday in Lagos.

His report, “INVESTIGATION: How bribe taking security operatives, gangs force Nigerians to pay dearly for food”, also won the online category of the award.

The prestigious award, which holds annually also recognised journalist across the country for their “courageous reporting”.

In the online category, Chikezie Omeje of the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) was runner-up, while Damilola Banjo was commended for her story.

For the print category, Samson Folarin of PUNCH won the award for his story on certificate plagiarism scandal that rocked Nnamdi Azikwe University. Chinwe Agbeze of The Sun was runner-up, while Oladimeji Ramon was commended.

Ayodele Adeniran of The Guardian clinched the first prize for the photojournalism category. Odutayo Adesanya and Saheed Olugbon from PUNCH were the runner-up and commended respectively for the category.

The television, radio and editorial cartoon categories did not produce winners.

Albert Ohams of The Sun was commended in the cartoon category, while Mary Abayomi-Fatile of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) was also commended in the radio category.

For television category, Sharon Ijasan of TVC News, received the prize as the runner-up, while her colleague from the same media house, Samuel-Wemimo was commended for her work.

The lifetime award for journalistic excellence was conferred on Sunmi Smart-Cole, a veteran photojournalist. The anti-corruption defender award went to Amnesty International Nigeria.