Journalism has lost two great souls. They are Mike Akpan, ex-Newswatch Magazine General Editor, and popular sports journalist Godwin Spiff-Sagbama.

News of the death of the duo broke this afternoon. News Express learnt that both Akpan and Spiff-Sagbama had been sick for a while.

Akpan was said to have died minutes after 12pm today in a hospital in his native Akwa Ibom State – to which he was rushed after being flown home from his Lagos base over the weekend.

A veteran journalist who made is mark as a pioneer staff of the iconic Newswatch magazine, rising to the position of General Editor, Akpan’s last place of work was Real News, a weekly online magazine of which he also was in the pioneer team.

As for Spiff-Sagbama, he was a seasoned sports journalist, broadcaster, producer and entrepreneur known for his compelling radio and TV programmes. His death was announced this afternoon by Super Eagles Media Oficer ben Alaiya, who wrote on Facebook: “My heart goes out to the family of one of our kind, a brother and friend Godwin Spiff Sagbama, who passed on earlier today.”

•Photo shows late Mike Akpan.