MRA Urges FG to Investigate Dele Giwa’s Death 40 Years On
The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to implement the court order directing it to investigate the circumstances surrounding the killing of the renowned...
The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to implement the court order directing it to investigate the circumstances surrounding the killing of the renowned investigative journalist and the founding editor-in-chief of the Newswatch Magazine, Mr Dele Giwa, forty years after his unsolved cases around his death.
MRA, in a statement issued and signed by Idowu Adewale, its Communications Officer, Lagos, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the killing of Mr Giwa on October 19, 1986, through a parcel bomb delivered to him at his residence in Ikeja, Lagos, described the Government’s failure to bring the case to a conclusive resolution four decades later as a “shameful reminder of the entrenched culture of impunity for attacks against journalists in Nigeria.”
Mr Dele Giwa, known to be an audacious journalist, was killed at age 39 at the time after receiving a parcel of bombs which detonated at his residence, located at No. 25 Talabi Street, Ikeja, Lagos State, during the regime of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, a military head of state who ruled Nigeria from 1985 to 1993 before stepping aside following the annulment of the June 12, 1993, presidential election.
Forty years down the line, his mysterious death has remained unsolved, nor have any individuals been brought to justice for the event, making media professionals and press freedom fighters continue to call for justice for his death.
In February 2024, there was a ray of hope for the clamour of the press community when the Federal High Court in Abuja gave an order to the federal government to reopen the investigation and prosecution over the murder of the journalists. However, in December of the same year, the federal government asked a court in Abuja for an extension of time to appeal the ruling, leaving the case static for two years.
As a result, MRA noted that the Federal Government had not demonstrated any progress or reported any concrete steps it has taken to establish the facts, identify those responsible, and pursue accountability under the law, describing the Government’s attitude as a contemptuous disregard for a valid and subsisting judicial order.
The organisation also maintained that while the media professionals are commemorating the forty years of the event, it should not just be treated merely as an occasion to remember an accomplished journalist and celebrate his contributions to journalism in Nigeria but should also serve as a moment for renewed public scrutiny of the failure to deliver justice and the lack of concrete action by the Government and the Police towards ensuring accountability.
“Forty years is far too long for the assassination of a journalist of Dele Giwa’s stature to remain unresolved. His killing must not be reduced to a recurring anniversary in Nigeria’s media calendar, accompanied by tributes and expressions of outrage but without meaningful progress towards accountability.”
“MRA secured judgement at the Federal High Court in Abuja in a case it brought against the Attorney-General of the Federation in which the court ordered the Federal Government to investigate Mr Giwa’s murder, along with other unresolved killings of other journalists, and directed the Government to ensure the prosecution of the perpetrators.
Reacting to the development, the MRA’s Deputy Executive Director, Mr Ayode Longe, called on the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Nigeria Police Force and all other relevant authorities to provide a clear account of the steps taken to implement the court’s order, including the status of the investigation, the investigative measures undertaken, and the plans for pursuing prosecution where the evidence and applicable law warrant it.
“Arguing that the passage of time does not extinguish the State’s responsibility to pursue accountability for an unlawful killing, he urged the authorities to explore all lawful investigative avenues, including a systematic review of historical investigation files, witness accounts, documentary evidence, and any other material that may assist in establishing the circumstances of the assassination.
“According to him, where appropriate and feasible, modern forensic and investigative techniques and tools should be leveraged, as the failure to resolve the Giwa case after four decades sends a damaging message about the safety of journalists in Nigeria and the consequences of violence against those who exercise their right to freedom of expression.
“Besides, he said, the failure to hold anyone accountable for such a high-profile killing of a journalist as prominent as Dele Giwa sends a wrong signal to those who are inclined to attack journalists as a result of their work that they can do so without negative consequences.
The commission further noted that MRA’s campaign for justice in the Giwa case forms part of its broader efforts to secure accountability for the killings of journalists in Nigeria and called on the Federal Government to institute mechanisms for guaranteeing the safety of journalists, ensuring that law enforcement agencies respond effectively to threats and attacks, and demonstrating through concrete action that violence against media professionals will not be tolerated.
“As Nigeria marks four decades since his assassination, the most fitting tribute to Dele Giwa would be demonstrable progress towards justice for him and his family, stronger guarantees for the safety of journalists, and a national commitment to ending impunity for crimes against journalists and other media professionals,” the statement concludes.
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