By Ere-ebi Agedah Imisi
The International Press Centre, IPC has renewed its call for justice, accountability and answers over the assassination of Dele Giwa, founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch magazine, as Nigeria marks 40 years since his death.
In a statement issued on Monday by Melody Akinjiyan, Press Freedom Officer, the organisation’s Safety and Protection of Journalists (SPJ) Hub urged the Federal Government and relevant authorities to reopen the case and pursue those responsible for the journalist’s killing.
Giwa was assassinated on Sunday, October 19, 1986, after a letter bomb was delivered to his home in Lagos. He was 39.
Four decades after the killing, no one has been criminally held accountable for the assassination.
The IPC described the unresolved case as a continuing stain on Nigeria’s record of justice, accountability and the protection of journalists.
Executive Director of the organisation, Lanre Arogundade, said Giwa’s assassination was not merely a personal tragedy for his family, friends and professional colleagues, but also an attack on press freedom and the fundamental role of journalism in a democratic society.
“It was an attack on the fundamental principle that journalists must be able to investigate, question authority and report in the public interest without fear of violence or intimidation,” Arogundade said.
He urged the relevant authorities to renew efforts to establish the truth, stressing that the passage of time should not be allowed to extinguish the pursuit of justice.
“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,” he said.
The IPC-SPJ Hub called on the Federal Government, the Nigeria Police Force and relevant investigative and prosecutorial authorities to reopen the investigation into Giwa’s assassination and pursue a credible and independent inquiry.
It urged authorities to examine available evidence, historical records and previous investigative findings in a renewed effort to determine those responsible for the killing.
The organisation also called for investigations into other unresolved killings of journalists in Nigeria.
The IPC further called for stronger measures to protect journalists, stressing that press freedom remains critical to transparency, democratic accountability and the protection of citizens’ rights.
“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 organisation said.
It added: “A country cannot credibly celebrate press freedom while leaving one of its most notorious attacks on a journalist unresolved for four decades.”
