On October 19, 1986, Dele Giwa, the founding editor-in-chief of Newswatch magazine, was assassinated in what remains one of the most brazen and chilling attacks on press freedom in Nigerian history. He was killed by a parcel bomb delivered to his home—a method as sinister as it was symbolic. It marked the first time a journalist in Nigeria had been killed in such a calculated, terroristic manner. Thirty-nine years on, the question remains: Who killed Dele Giwa?
The answer, tragically, remains unresolved.
At his death, Giwa was known for his fearless investigative journalism and sharp criticism of the military government. His work challenged the excesses and corruption of the regime, especially under General Ibrahim Babangida. Mere days before his assassination, Giwa had been questioned by Nigeria’s then-State Security Service (SSS), and reports indicated that he had received threats. It was no secret that Giwa was under surveillance by the State.
Despite this, there has been no conviction, credible closure, or justice. The case file remains buried under political dust, denial, and deliberate obfuscation.
Over the decades, suspicions have consistently pointed toward high-ranking government officials and security agencies. Notably, at the time, intelligence officers like Lt. Col. A.K. Togun and Col. Halilu Akilu have been repeatedly linked to the case. The late human rights lawyer Gani Fawehinmi pursued the case doggedly, demanding that these individuals be prosecuted. His effort was met with resistance and judicial bottlenecks, including a Supreme Court ruling that curtailed the investigation. It is one of the most painful stains on Nigeria’s justice system.
Was it an unresolved murder or a state-sanctioned assassination? The facts lean heavily toward the latter. When the state obstructs justice, silences inquiries, and protects suspects, it becomes difficult not to conclude that the murder was either executed or condoned by those in power.
Whether the individuals who orchestrated or executed Giwa’s murder are alive or dead is almost irrelevant to the cause of justice. What matters is that the Nigerian State has yet to take responsibility, investigate credibly, or honour the man whose life was stolen for daring to speak truth to power.
Has Dele Giwa been duly honoured by the Nigerian government?
The answer, again, is a bitter no. No national day to commemorate him, no federal monument in his name, no posthumous award recognising his sacrifice for press freedom. In a country where journalists continue to face threats, harassment, and even death, the silence over Dele Giwa’s legacy is deafening.
As a newspaper, we stand today, 39 years later, with the same conviction that Dele Giwa embodied: the pen must never bow to the sword.
We demand: A public reopening of the case by a genuinely independent body; Posthumous national honour for Dele Giwa; Institutional reform to protect journalists from threats by state and non-state actors, and a permanent memorial in honour of journalists who have died in the line of duty in Nigeria.
Justice delayed is justice denied. But justice forgotten is an insult to the dead.
It is time for Nigeria to confront its past, to own its failures, and to right its wrongs.
