Channels Television’s Bauchi bureau cameraman, Kani Ben, has been laid to rest in his hometown of Kangali, Girei Local Government Area of Adamawa State, following a solemn series of funeral rites attended by family, colleagues and dignitaries.
The 44-year-old died on February 15, 2026, at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital after sustaining injuries in a road accident while on official duty.
A wake service held on Sunday at the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria in Yola drew hundreds of worshippers, members of the Channels Television team, and sympathisers who gathered to honour the fallen journalist.
The General Manager, Special Duties, Kingsley Uranta, led the delegation from Channels Television.
The following day, a brief departure ceremony took place at a specialist hospital in Yola before the body was conveyed to Kangali, where grieving relatives and community members paid their final respects.
At the funeral service, church leaders described Ben as a devoted Christian and consummate professional. The Bishop of the Abuja Diocese of the Lutheran Church testified to his active involvement in church life and exemplary character.
He said, “For us to have this calibre of people from North East Development Commission, from Government of Bauchi state, from Channels, from National Union of Journalists, and all his colleagues, it means that Kani Ben lived a good life.”
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Tributes
Colleagues remembered him as courageous and committed to his craft.
Speaking on behalf of the organisation, Uranta said, “Our love, thoughts and prayers are with his family, his entire family, as you continue to celebrate the life of your dearly departed.”
The Bauchi State Commissioner for Information, Usman Shehu-Usman, who attended alongside representatives of the North East Development Commission, commended the late cameraman’s diligence and work ethic.
He said, “Channels Television had this active cameraman, we call him an active reporter, because actually he died less than a week ago, when Channels Television asked him to come from Bauchi to cover an event here in Adamawa. That is to tell you how trustworthy he is, how active he is.”
Also paying tribute, Director of Information at the NEDC, Naomi Abwaku, noted, “Mr. Kani Ben has been with the NEDC since inception. Right from the very day the NEDC stormed into Bauchi, Kani Ben was there.”
After prayers for strength and comfort for the bereaved, Kani Ben was committed to Mother Earth in a final, solemn farewell.
Kani Ben
Kani Ben was born in 1982. He was covering the commissioning of projects by the North East Development Commission, a reflection of a career spent documenting the nation’s stories.
At 44, he had dedicated nine years to Channels Television, earning widespread respect for his professionalism and courage.
Tributes poured in from the Nigeria Union of Journalists and the Bauchi State Government, where he was based.
Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed described his passing as painful and heartbreaking, noting that he died in active service while keeping Nigerians informed.
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