*Ocholi was former Editor of Sporting Champion; Deputy Editor in Chief of Daily Asset Newspapers
The death has been announced of the Deputy Editor-in-chief of Daily Asset Newspaper, John Danusa Ocholi, a veteran Sports Journalist who died after a protracted illness. He was 65.
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of the Newspaper, Dr Cletus Akwaya in a statement last night said the family confirmed the demise of the foremost journalist.
“It is with a heavy heart that we announce the demise of our colleague, our pioneer Editor and Deputy Editor-in-Chief, John Danusa Ocholi”, Akwaya wrote in the statement adding “ we shall miss him dearly”.
The Publisher said “Ocholi was a very dedicated person to the cause of the paper. He was the pioneer Editor, who did quite a lot to take the paper off the ground from inception and remained steadfast through difficult times in the bid to nurture the paper to maturity” Akwaya said.
“We are grateful to God for the gift of Ocholi, who was a team player, motivator and mentor, always full of smiles to reduce tensions in times of difficulties” the Publisher further stated.
He said the Management would await further information from the family on the unfortunate incident.
An indigene of Dekina LGA of Kogi state, Ocholi joined Daily Asset at inception as pioneer Editor in 2017. He was promoted to Managing Editor and then Deputy Editor- in- Chief, the position he held until 2023 when he had health challenges, which made him proceed on sick leave.
He joined DAILY ASSET from Daily Pilot where he worked as Editor of the Weekend Pilot and Deputy Editor of the Daily Pilot. He joined the Nigerian Pilot from Verbatim Magazine, where he served as Editor.
A graduate of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, 1983.
Ocholi began his journalism career with The Voice Newspaper in Makurdi, Benue State as Sports Reporter. He rose to the position of Sports Editor before he voluntarily resigned and joined Champion Newspapers in Lagos as a Sports Journalist. He rose through various positions and eventually became Editor of the highly respected Sporting Champion, Nigeria’s most respected weekly Sports Newspaper in the 1990s in the stable of Champion Newspapers Group.
In 2002, when the acclaimed South African soccer magazine Kick-Off launched its Nigerian edition, Ocholi was appointed to assist the head editor, Kunle Solaja.He later became the Magazine’s Editor before it stopped production.
He also worked at the Newswatch Magazine as Associate Editor and Head of Sports Desk, where he wrote very impactful stories on Nigerian sports and anchored highly celebrated interviews for the famous magazine.
In the course of his career, he covered major international sporting events including Many editions of the Senior and junior Football World Cups, African Cup of Nations (AFCON), international Club engagements, Commonwealth Games amongst others. He was clearly one of the nation’s most renowned Sports journalists.
In 2010, he was selected as a key member of the official Media Sub-Committee appointed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to oversee Nigeria’s media contingent and operations during the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
A community development enthusiast, he was elected as the pioneer president of the Igala Journalists Forum.
He left behind his wife and children. Family members have in the meantime set Monday 28th September 2026 for burial at his hometown, Egume in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State.
