By our Reporter

The newly elected Chairman of the Crime Correspondents Association of Nigeria (CCAN), Festus Fifen has described his emergence as the beginning of a new chapter for the association, promising to prioritise members’ welfare and uphold the professional dignity of crime reporters across the country.

Speaking shortly after the conclusion of the association’s election on Thursday, March 5th 2026 in Abuja, Fifen expressed gratitude to God and members of the association for the successful conduct of the exercise, describing the day as a significant milestone for CCAN.

He also commended the immediate past executive members led by Mr. Sam Ogbeifun for their dedication and contributions to the growth of the association, noting that leadership often comes with challenges that are not always visible from the outside.

According to him, “It is easy to criticise leadership from afar, but once you assume responsibility, you realise that leadership requires sacrifice, patience, and commitment. I appreciate the efforts of the immediate past executives who served this association diligently, they did their best and we will take from here to make sure we surpass their records”

In a statement by the secretary of the association Peter Ireh, Mr. Fifen emphasised that CCAN is more than just a professional body, describing it as a family built through years of shared experiences covering the crime and security beat.

In his words, “Many of us met while doing this job. We spend long hours together covering assignments and often see one another more than we see our families. This association is therefore not just an organisation, but a family bound by our shared commitment to journalism,”he stated.

The new chairman outlined two major priorities for his administration which are members’ welfare and the protection of journalists’ professional dignity.

He stressed that welfare goes beyond financial considerations to include emotional, psychological, and professional support for members, noting that “An association must prioritise the welfare of its members. That welfare includes psychological, emotional, spiritual, and professional wellbeing. When members are supported, the association grows stronger,”

Fifen also pledged to ensure that crime correspondents receive the respect and recognition they deserve from institutions and stakeholders within the security sector.

“Our dignity as journalists must be protected. When crime reporters speak or appear in professional spaces, they must be treated with respect. We must stand together to ensure our voices are heard and valued, what this means is that we must also conduct ourselves in ways we will be respected by newsmakers and the public ”

Calling for unity and cooperation, the chairman urged members and stakeholders of the association to support the new executive committee with advice, constructive criticism, and collaboration.

“No leadership succeeds alone. The executives represent all of us, but we will need your guidance, your support, and even your corrections when necessary so that together we can move this association forward,”

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Electoral Committee, Jonas Ezeke confirmed that the election into the seven executive positions of the association was conducted successfully in line with its mandate to deliver a credible, free, and fair process.

Ezeke said the committee was committed to ensuring transparency throughout the exercise and commended members for their cooperation.

“By the grace of God, we were able to conduct a credible election within the stipulated timeframe and declare the results successfully,” he noted.

Having covered the police beat for over 15 years, Ezeke said the new leadership already understands the challenges facing crime correspondents and expressed confidence that the executive committee would work towards improving the welfare and professional conditions of members.

He urged the newly elected executives to carefully assess the association’s current structure and explore opportunities that would strengthen the organisation.

“Leadership is critical to the progress of any organisation. When leadership gets it right, institutions grow and succeed. We believe the new executive committee will build on existing foundations and take CCAN to greater heights,” he said.

Members of the association expressed optimism that the new leadership would usher in reforms that promote unity, professionalism, and improved welfare for crime correspondents covering Nigeria’s security sector.

The new executives elected are Festus Fifen of BEN Television as chairman;
Oluwakemi Kindness of Democracy Radio as – vice chairman;
Peter Ireh of Radio Nigeria as general secretary; Vincess Okushi as assistant secretary.

Other executives are Latifa Aremu of Galaxy Television as treasurer, Gbenga Omokhunu of the Nation Newspaper as financial secretary and Ejike Ejike of LEADERSHIP Newspaper as welfare secretary

Signed.

Peter Ireh
Gen. Secretary CCAN