Rufa’i Ibrahim: Exit of a radical editor

Report of the death on April 2, 2016 of Malam Rufa’i Mustapha Ibrahim, the Editor-in-Chief of Abuja-based Peoples Daily, came to me as a rude shock. The late editor was a man I knew, admired and respected ever since we first met 35 years ago in December, 1981. I was then employed as a reporter […]

Report of the death on April 2, 2016 of Malam Rufa’i Mustapha Ibrahim, the Editor-in-Chief of Abuja-based Peoples Daily, came to me as a rude shock. The late editor was a man I knew, admired and respected ever since we first met 35 years ago in December, 1981. I was then employed as a reporter by the Triumph Publishing Company (TPC), Kano, publishers of Sunday Triumph, which made name across the country for its radicalism, fascinating investigative stories and being the first broadsheet English newspaper in Nigeria.
The company was set up by the government of late Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar Rimi, with Dr. Haroun Adamu (a popular columnist with the Sunday Times in the 1970s) as Managing Director and Rufa’i Ibrahim (who had worked in senior positions with New Nigerian and Daily Times newspapers) as the first editor. Rufa’i initially edited Alfijir newspaper, written in Ajami (Hausa in Arabic script), before he moved to Sunday Triumph with the commencement of its production in 1982.
As a novice in the job, I looked up to Rufa’i and resolved to observe him closely to learn the rudiments. I therefore made him my role model, watching every move he made in the course of production. He did not disappoint, for Rufa’i Ibrahim was excellent in every department of the job; hardworking, intelligent, compassionate and easy-going. He mixed very well with everybody including reporters without losing due respect.
Alas, he did not stay with us for long. He, Dr. Haroun Adamu and others had to leave on personal conviction shortly after Rimi lost his bid for second term in 1983. Their departure instantly stripped the newspaper of its radical credentials. However, by that time he already had profound impact on me even though I was posted to Jos in February, 1982. But long after he left I always remembered two things about him. One was the way he would suddenly be engrossed in deep thoughts in the midst of a discussion, and quickly reached out for a biro and paper and began to scribble down his thoughts. I have seen him do this several times and always marveled at it.
On one occasion we were in car driving to Kaduna when this happened again. Because these trance-like behaviors could occur at any time it seemed there were always a biro and a piece of paper in his pocket. These writings often ended up being part of his scintillating weekly column or the faceless Hantsi column, which featured speculations on scandals or national and local issues arising from news stories or heard on the grapevine.
Although there were other writers for the column, Rufa’i was the main contributor. His writings, though characteristically simple, were incisive analyses loaded with intelligent and marvelous insights on socio-political and economic issues of the day. Thus, Sunday Triumph was at that time very much sought-after not only because of its juicy investigative stories but his punchy style of writing that appealed to readers.
I remember when a piece in Hantsi on promotions in the Army kicked up a fuss during President Shehu Shagari’s era. What was written had apparently irked some people. Not too long afterwards the Managing Director of the company, who was suspected to have engineered it, bore the brunt of the ‘misdemeanor’ by suffering prolonged prison detention. The late editor too, as confirmed by two tribute writers who were his intimate friends, was also jailed because of some satiric write-up.
You couldn’t have come close enough to Rufa’i Ibrahim without realizing his ideological inclination and absolute compassion for humanity, particularly the less-privileged in society. In fact, one can discern this even from his writings which were always geared towards fighting for social justice and the rights of the ‘wretched of the earth.’ This explains his profound enthusiasm and admiration for Captain Thomas Sankara, a young Socialist-oriented officer who emerged as military president of Burkina Faso in 1983. Because of his patriotic zeal, charisma, ideological clarity and likeable personality Captain Sankara mesmerized the youth in Africa and was immensely popular with them.
This brings me to the second thing I always remember about Rufa’i. It seemed the editor was convinced that Captain Sankara was capable of liberating the poor people of his country. He therefore resolved to visit Burkina Faso and see things himself so as to publicize the revolution going on there. Perhaps he reckoned that it was through such publicity that other youths in Africa would aspire to bring about similar changes in their societies. I was impressed that the editor had the courage of his conviction to travel to such a far off place just for interviews. At that time, venturing into such long journeys for news coverage was a novelty and a far cry from the usual practice among Nigerian journalists. 
I therefore watched in awe and admiration as the editor made arrangements for him and versatile photographer, Umoru Ibrahim, to travel by road to Lagos en route to Burkina Faso. And since Ghana was on the way he had also arranged to stop over in Accra to interview President Jerry Rawlings – another revolutionary leader who had caught the imagination of the African people. Unfortunately, the journey could not proceed beyond Ghana as the two journalists could not secure visas for the Burkinabe visit.
However, being the resolute person that he was Rufa’i did not give up. As it turned out, eventually as Managing Director of Plateau Publishing Company he somehow was able to be one of 19 journalists who interviewed Captain Sankara a few weeks before he was overthrown and killed in a coup on October 15, 1987. The interview was published in The Standard newspaper a week after the assassination that shook the continent.
What I found astonishing about this was Rufa’i’s commitment to a cause and his strong resolve to face odds in order to serve that cause. He had no doubt in his mind that Sankara would ultimately improve the lot of his people and wanted to contribute to the success of that cause. Rufa’i had never swayed from his belief and commitment to the struggle, which was why he still returned to journalism even after qualifying as a barrister in 1990 and setting up a law chamber that he aptly named as “Liberation Chamber.” His last column in the Peoples Daily also had the appropriate caption: “For The Masses”! The urge to continue the struggle was irresistible to him.
During my 22 years work as a journalist I have known and worked with so many editors. None of them was as radical and with real passion for social change, or did half as much to strive towards achieving that goal. Actually, to me Malam Rufa’i Ibrahim was the quintessential journalist and best newspaper editor in the world. May Allah have mercy on him and grant his soul eternal peace, amin. 
Muhammad, former Editor-in-Chief of Triumph Newspapers, wrote from Kano ([email protected]).