Dotun Oladipo, founder and managing editor of Eagle Online, has died at the age of 56.
Oladipo reportedly took ill suddenly in his office in Lagos on Tuesday, August 25, and later died at a hospital where he had driven himself.
His death was confirmed by the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), where he served as a former president. The guild’s president, Danlami Nmodu, announced his passing on Tuesday night.
Oladipo was also the founding president of the Innovative Media Partners Cooperative Multipurpose Society (IMPCMS).
The cooperative’s Secretary-General, Nkanu Egbe, confirmed his death in a statement on Wednesday, describing it as a devastating loss to the organisation and Nigerian journalism.
A veteran journalist with nearly three decades of experience, Oladipo was a former politics editor at PUNCH Newspapers. He also worked with Nigerian Tribune, Nigerian Compass and The Sun before establishing Eagle Online.
He was the Chief Executive Officer of Premium Eagle Media Limited.
His death has drawn condolences from colleagues and members of the Nigerian media community, who have continued to mourn his contribution to journalism and the development of Nigeria’s digital media industry.