Dele Giwa: IPC Urges Nigerian Govt To Reopen 40-Year-Old Assassination Case | Sahara Reporters

Giwa was killed at the age of 39 years at his residence in Lagos on October 19, 1986, after receiving a parcel bomb.

The International Press Centre (IPC) has called on the Nigerian Government and relevant security and prosecutorial authorities to reopen the investigation into the assassination of veteran journalist and founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch Magazine, Dele Giwa, 40 years after he was killed by a parcel bomb.

The IPC, through its Safety and Protection of Journalists (SPJ) Hub, made the demand in a statement issued on Monday, to mark the 40th anniversary of Giwa’s assassination.

Giwa was killed at the age of 39 years at his residence in Lagos on October 19, 1986, after receiving a parcel bomb.

Four decades after the murder, no person has been criminally held accountable for the journalist’s death, leaving one of Nigeria’s most notorious attacks on a member of the press unresolved.

The IPC said the continued failure to resolve the case represents a serious indictment of Nigeria’s commitment to justice, accountability and the protection of journalists.

Giwa, who was also a former Sunday Editor of National Concord, played a significant role in Nigerian journalism through his investigative reporting and his work at Newswatch, where he championed the public’s right to know and the media’s responsibility to hold those in power accountable.

The Executive Director of IPC, Lanre Arogundade, described Giwa’s assassination as more than a personal tragedy for his family, friends and colleagues, saying it constituted an attack on the fundamental principles of journalism and press freedom.

“Forty years without justice is far too long. Silence cannot substitute for accountability, and the passage of time must not become an excuse for abandoning the pursuit of truth,” Arogundade said.

He added that journalists must be able to investigate, question those in authority and report matters of public interest without fear of violence or intimidation.

“The failure to bring this case to a credible conclusion has left a painful question hanging over Nigeria’s democratic and human rights record: can the killing of a journalist remain unresolved indefinitely without undermining public confidence in the institutions responsible for upholding the law?” Arogundade asked.

The IPC urged the Nigerian Government, Nigeria Police Force and other relevant investigative and prosecutorial authorities to reopen and pursue a credible and independent investigation into Giwa’s assassination.

The organisation said such an investigation should build on available evidence, historical records and previous investigative findings.

The IPC also called for renewed attention to other cases involving journalists who were murdered but whose killings remain unresolved.

The press freedom organisation highlighted the murder of Bayo Ohu of The Guardian on September 20, 2009; Nathan S. Dabak and Sunday Gyang Bwede of The Light Bearer on April 24, 2010; and Zakariya Isa of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), who was killed on October 22, 2011.

Others include Enenche Akogwu of Channels Television, killed on January 20, 2012; Maxwell Nashan of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, killed on January 15, 2020; Alex Ogbu of The Regent Africa Time Magazine, killed on January 21, 2020; and Emmanuel Adeyemi of The Sun newspaper, killed on October 26, 2020.

The list also includes Titus Badejo of Naija FM, killed on June 19, 2021, and Tordue Salem of Vanguard newspaper, who was killed in November 2021.

The IPC further urged the Nigerian authorities to honour Giwa’s legacy by strengthening mechanisms for the protection of journalists, stressing that press freedom remains essential to transparency, democratic accountability and the protection of citizens’ rights.

The organisation warned against reducing Giwa’s legacy to annual tributes without concrete action to secure justice.

“As we commemorate the 40th anniversary of Dele Giwa’s death, we must resist the temptation to reduce him to an annual remembrance marked by speeches and tributes. His legacy demands action,” the IPC said.

“Journalists deserve to know that the profession they serve is protected by the rule of law.”

The IPC maintained that Nigeria cannot credibly celebrate press freedom while leaving one of the country’s most notorious attacks on a journalist unresolved for four decades.