From Tears in the Rain to 20 Years of Truth: How Eagle Eagle Survived the Good, Bad, and Ugly
Our Editorial Team
Two decades ago, on August 12, 2006, Eagle Eye Watch News (EEWN) was born not out of financial wealth, but out of sheer, unyielding passion. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the management reveals that the journey has been defined by the “good, the bad, and the ugly”—built on a foundation of faith, friendship, and tears.
Driven by Passion, Built Without Funding
The Living Room Bureau: EEWN began with zero financial capital. The Managing Editor’s private residence served as the newsroom and operational headquarters.
Borrowed Hardware: The publication’s very first computer was a temporary loan. It was provided on a short-term basis by Officer Martins Danjagla of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), a fellow member and president of the Metropolitan Chapter of the Full Gospel Business Men’s Fellowship International.
The Tears Behind the Print: Heartbreaking Setbacks
Before the era of seamless cloud backups, early production was a physical and psychological battle. Two specific events tested the founder’s resolve to the absolute breaking point:
The Corrupted Edition: After spending an entire grueling week on computer page planning and graphics, the team left the office hoping to print the next morning. They returned to find the entire file corrupted. Having to start the entire week’s work from scratch caused the founder to weep and cry bitterly.
The Rain and the Broken Flash: In the early days when mobile internet was an exclusive luxury, the founder spent hours downloading international news materials. While running back to the computer center in a heavy downpour, the flash drive failed. Devastated, the founder ran back out into the freezing rain to start the entire download process all over again.
The Power of 12 Friends
Without corporate investors, the vision relied entirely on a tight-knit circle of 12 dedicated friends and partners, including:
Patience Mgbafuluba: The trailblazing founding editor.
Core Supporters: Martins Danjagla, Elder Wale Salami, Peter Omachonu, Nelson Ihea-acho, Joy Madubuike, Lawrence Uruemukabo, Malfred Nyam, and Kingsley Okonkwo, alongside other good-spirited individuals.
A Launch Powered by Wisdom and Faith
The Jos Hotel Deal: Lacking venue money, the team used the creative wisdom of bartering advertising space in the upcoming paper to secure the Jos Hotel for their maiden launch.
A Post-Dated Cheque: Driven by pure faith, the founders handed a post-dated cheque to the caterer, trusting God that launch day donations would cover the cost before the cheque cleared.
Early Believers: The late businessman Uche Ezeofor became one of the platform’s vital early believers, buying one of the very first commercial advertisements.
Dignitaries of the Day: The maiden event featured Nwanueze Njoku, the AIT Jos Bureau Chief, as the official newspaper reviewer, while Rev. S.O. Academe, Overseer of COEL, guided the launch as the Spiritual Father of the Day.
20 Years of Resilience
Following that high-stakes launch event, the historic 12-page maiden edition officially went on sale to the public. Twenty years later, those tears in the rain have transformed into a resilient online vanguard against misinformation, proving that purpose and community can outlast any mechanical or financial hurdle.
A Special Thank You Note from the Founder
“To our readers, partners, and the community that has stood by us through the good, the bad, and the ugly: thank you. We could not have survived these 20 years without your unwavering trust and patronage. To the twelve friends who believed in a vision when there was no money, and to everyone who lent us a helping hand or a word of prayer along the way—this milestone belongs to you. Thank you for keeping the Eagle’s eye open.”
