40 Years After Dele Giwa’s Murder, Court Order Unimplemented – MRA

The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has urged the Federal Government to implement a court order directing it to investigate the assassination of Dele Giwa, founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch magazine, and prosecute those responsible.

The call comes 40 years after Giwa was killed by a parcel bomb delivered to his residence in Ikeja, Lagos, on October 19, 1986.

In a statement issued in Lagos to mark the anniversary, MRA described the failure to resolve the case as a “shameful reminder of the entrenched culture of impunity for attacks against journalists in Nigeria.”

The organisation’s Deputy Executive Director, Ayode Longe, said the anniversary should prompt a probe into the failure of the government and police to deliver justice, beyond tributes to Giwa’s contributions to Nigerian journalism.

“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,” he said.

Longe recalled that MRA secured a judgment at the Federal High Court in Abuja on February 16, 2024, in a suit against the Attorney-General of the Federation.

He said the court ordered the Federal Government to investigate Giwa’s murder and other unresolved killings of journalists and ensure the prosecution of those responsible.

However, the government has yet to demonstrate progress or report concrete steps taken to establish the circumstances surrounding Giwa’s assassination, identify those responsible and pursue accountability, according to Longe.

He described the failure to implement the judgment as a contemptuous disregard for a valid and subsisting judicial order.

Longe urged the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant authorities to account for the measures taken to comply with the order.

He said the authorities should disclose the status of the investigation, the investigative steps already undertaken and plans to prosecute suspects where the evidence and applicable laws warrant it.

He also urged investigators to explore all lawful avenues despite the passage of time, including a systematic review of historical investigation files, witness accounts, documentary evidence and other materials that could establish the circumstances surrounding the killing.

Modern forensic and investigative techniques should also be deployed where appropriate and feasible, he added.

Longe warned that the continued failure to resolve the case sent a damaging message about the safety of journalists in Nigeria and the consequences of violence against those exercising their right to freedom of expression.

He said the absence of accountability for the killing of a prominent journalist could encourage potential attackers to believe they would face no consequences.

Longe called on the Federal Government to establish mechanisms to protect journalists, ensure law enforcement agencies respond effectively to threats and attacks, and demonstrate through concrete action that violence against media professionals would not be tolerated.

He said Giwa’s legacy included the emergence of a media sector committed to investigating public affairs, holding those in power accountable and providing citizens with information necessary for participation in public life.

According to him, a meaningful commemoration of Giwa’s life and work requires renewed commitment to truth, accountability, professional courage and the public’s right to know.

“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,” Longe said.