Former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, has denied any involvement in the assassination of Dele Giwa, the veteran journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch.
Giwa, known for his outspoken criticism of Babangida’s military regime, was killed by a parcel bomb at his home in Ikeja, Lagos State, on October 19, 1986.
Just two days before his death, a senior officer from the Directorate of Military Intelligence accused Giwa of illegally importing and stockpiling weapons to orchestrate a socialist revolution in Nigeria.
Disturbed by the allegation, Giwa immediately contacted his lawyer, Gani Fawehinmi. The next day, Colonel Halilu Akilu, a security chief, reached out to Giwa, assuring him that the accusation was a misunderstanding, the issue had been resolved, and he had nothing to worry about.
According to Ray Ekpu, Giwa’s colleague at Newswatch, not long after the call, a government envoy arrived at Giwa’s Ikeja residence. Giwa’s son, Billy, received the parcel and handed it to his father, who was at the dining table with Kayode Soyinka, Newswatch’s London correspondent, who was visiting from the UK. The envelope, marked “To be opened by addressee only,” bore the seal of the Presidency.
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However, Babangida dismissed the longstanding allegation of his involvement in Giwa’s death in his autobiography, A Journey in Service, which was unveiled in Abuja on Thursday. He expressed hope that the truth would eventually come to light.
He said, “The hysteria of the media did not help the investigation of the Giwa murder. As is typical of the Nigerian media, the direction was marked by an adversarial attitude towards the government, which had remained the hallmark of the Nigerian media from its colonial heyday.
“It was an attitude of ‘we versus the government’ that has remained today. It is a situation in which the government is adjudged guilty even before the evidence in a case is adduced.
“When the Obasanjo civilian administration reopened the Giwa case at the Oputa Panel on Human and Civil Rights, I expected that the police and lawyers would come forward with new evidence as to their findings on the Giwa murder over the years.
“Nothing of such happened. The Giwa, like all mysterious murders, has remained unsolved after so many years. I keep hoping it will be uncovered in our lifetime or after us. More often than not, mysterious crimes are solved long after their commission.”
The public unveiling of the autobiography also marked the launch of Babangida’s presidential library.
The event was graced by Bola Tinubu, who was joined by former presidents, ex-military leaders, and industry giants, including Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
Prominent political figures present included former Vice Presidents Atiku Abubakar, Namadi Sambo, and Yemi Osinbajo, as well as the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate and former Anambra State governor, Mr. Peter Obi, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) presidential candidate and former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
The keynote address was delivered by Nana Akufo-Addo, former President of Ghana, while former Sierra Leonean President Ernest Koroma also honored the occasion with his presence.
The gathering was further enriched by the attendance of state governors, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, along with industrialists, technocrats, and traditional rulers.
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