Still A Mystery, 18 Years After
By Geoffrey Ekenna
Monday, October 25, 2004
Nearly two decades after he was killed via a letter bomb, the death of Dele Giwa, founding editor-in-chief of Newswatch, has remained a mystery not about to be unravelled
Last week, Tuesday, October 19 was the 18th anniversary of the death of Dele Giwa, first editor-in-chief of Newswatch. He died on October 19, 1986 at the age of 39 through a letter bomb delivered to him in his residence. But even as the day passed quietly last week, there are still worries that his killers have not been found, 18 years after. This is despite efforts by his colleagues, friends and well-wishers to ensure that they were found and punished. All efforts to unravel his killers have also proved abortive.
Funke Fadugba, chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, Lagos State Chapter, is worried over this. She told Newswatch last week, that the inability of the government and security agencies to find Giwa's killers since his death was an indication of high level falsehood and pretence in the Nigerian society. She believes that the killers of Giwa would be unraveled one day no matter how long it takes.
"We are worried that 18 years after his death, nobody has been found as his killer. Nobody is willing to come out and point out the killers. We believe that no matter how long it takes, as the society is evolving, even if it is later, the killers would be found," Fadugba said.
Gani Fawehinmi, Giwa's lawyer also lamented the inability of the government to find Giwa's killers. While calling for the institution of a probe panel into the death of Jerry Agbeyegbe, pilot and Aviation activist, who was murdered in Lagos, Gani argured that the case should. not be treated the way Giwa's was treated.
Giwa's who was on a breakfast table with Kayode Soyinka, then Newswatch, London bureau chief on the day of the incident at about 11.40 a.m. received a parcel with the inscription "Office of the C-in-C on it. On an attempt to open the parcel delivered by a dispatch-rider through Billy, Giwa's son, it exploded on his laps, throwing him on the floor with burns. He died less than one hour later.
His death provoked public outcry, not only because of the manner of death, but the first of its type in the country, but also because of his experiences in the hands of security agencies, few days before his death. On September 19, 1986, he was invited by the SSS for a column he wrote on the introduction of the second-tier foreign exchange market, by the then Ibrahim Babangida-led, military regime. That invitation was followed by others a few days before he was killed. Two days before his death, Giwa was a guest of the SSS. His host was Tunde Togun, a colonel and deputy director of the SSS, who handed him four accusations, that Newswatch was planning to do a story on the other side of the Ukiwe story. Ebitu Ukiwe, IBB's second in command was removed as the chief of General staff and Newswatch published in its issue of October 20 1986, a cover titled. "Power Games: Ukiwe loses out." Secondly, Togun accused him of planning to employ Alozie Ogugbuaja, superintendent of police and police public relations officer in Lagos who was on suspension. Giwa was, however, rattled by SSS's third and fourth allegations that he was holding discussion with the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU and students, with the aim of destabilising the country and enthrone a socialist revolution. He also accused Giwa of trying to bring arms into the country.
Giwa did not find the allegations funny as he complained to Ray Ekpu, after the encounter with Togun. "If they can think this of me, then I am not safe. They are only trying to give the dog a bad name in order to hang it." He was bombed two days later. But not before he had complained to Fawehinmi, his lawyer and friend. Fawehinmi promised to take the matter to court on Monday October 20. That was not to be.
But both Fawehinmi and the directorate of Newswatch, chief executive officer have persisted since then, to seek justice for Giwa to no avail. Soon after his death, the police had started investigation into the dastardly murder, with Abubakar Tsav, a retired commissioner of police in charge. His interim report which he submitted two weeks after, never saw the light of the day till date. Tsav told Newswatch in 1999: "I was engaged in another case of Lawrence Anini so, I was kept off completely and the file never came back to me."
When President Olusegun Obasanjo set up the Human Rights Investigation Commission popularly called Oputa panel in 1999, Dele Giwa's was prominent on the list of cases based on petitions submitted by both Fawehinmi and Newswatch directors. Neither Togun, Halilu Akilu, former director of military intelligence, nor IBB showed up at the tribunal. The trio were expected to answer questions on their relationship with Giwa and his death. Oputa recommended that the murder of Dele-Giwa be re-opened. But Obasanjo is yet to do that. Babangida and Akilu went to court to stop the implementation of the recommendations. But the question after 18 years of his demise remains," Who killed Dele Giwa?
