40 years after Dele Giwa’s killing, MRA demands justice
By Elizabeth Osayande Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has called on the Federal Government to implement a court order directing it to investigate the assassination of renowned journalist and founding Editor-in-Chief of…
Dele Giwa, founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch magazine, was killed on October 19, 1986, by a parcel bomb delivered to his Lagos home—an assassination that remains one of Nigeria's most notorious unsolved crimes. His death occurred during the military era under General Ibrahim Babangida, and suspicion has long lingered over state security agencies, though no one has ever been successfully prosecuted. The case has become a touchstone for press freedom advocates, symbolising the dangers Nigerian journalists have faced for investigative reporting and the broader culture of impunity surrounding attacks on media practitioners.
Media Rights Agenda, a prominent Nigerian press freedom and freedom-of-expression organisation, has pursued legal action over the killing for years, reportedly securing a court order compelling the government to investigate the circumstances of Giwa's death and prosecute those responsible. Both Vanguard and Leadership report MRA's renewed call, marking the 40th anniversary of the killing, for the Federal Government to comply with and fully implement that judicial directive. Neither report provides new details on the specific court that issued the order, a timeline for compliance, or what prosecutorial or investigative steps the government has taken so far, leaving the central question of accountability still unresolved four decades on.