Patrick Odey, The PUNCH's correspondent in Akwa Ibom State, was buried on Saturday. His remains were laid to rest in his hometown in Cross River State. Odey had built his career at the newspaper as the man on the ground in Akwa Ibom, filing reports from across the state. Word of his death drew an outpouring of grief from colleagues and readers who were used to seeing his byline. The funeral rites in his home community brought together family members, friends and others touched by his life and work. His passing leaves a hole in the newspaper's coverage of the South-South region. Saturday's ceremony was the final act of mourning for a reporter who spent years telling other people's stories.