The Safety and Protection of Journalists (SPJ) Hub of the International Press Centre (IPC) has called for answers, accountability and justice, 40 years after the assassination of Dele Giwa, founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch magazine.
Giwa, 39, was killed by a parcel bomb at his home in Lagos on 19 October 1986. His murder remains unresolved.
In a statement issued on Monday by the IPC-SPJ Hub’s Press Freedom Officer, Melody Akinjiyan, the Executive Director of the centre, Lanre Arogundade, described the failure to identify and prosecute those responsible as an indictment of Nigeria’s commitment to justice, accountability and the protection of journalists.
Arogundade said Giwa’s assassination was not merely a personal tragedy for his family, colleagues and friends but also an attack on the fundamental principle that journalists should be able to investigate, question authority and report matters of public interest without fear of violence or intimidation.
He urged the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security agencies to reopen the case and investigate other unresolved murders of journalists in the country.
The statement described Giwa as an influential figure in Nigerian journalism whose commitment to investigative reporting helped reshape the profession.
“Dele Giwa was more than a journalist. He was the Sunday Editor of National Concord and founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch magazine, whose commitment to investigative reporting helped reshape Nigerian journalism.
“Through his work, he championed the public’s right to know and demonstrated the essential role of a free press in holding power accountable,” the statement said.
The IPC-SPJ Hub lamented that four decades had passed without a conclusive resolution of the case, warning that the passage of time should not become an excuse for abandoning the search for truth.
“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,” it stated.
The organisation also questioned the implications of the unresolved murder for Nigeria’s democratic and human rights record, arguing that leaving the killing of a journalist unresolved indefinitely could undermine public confidence in institutions responsible for upholding the law.
The IPC-SPJ Hub also called for credible, independent investigations into the murders of other journalists killed in Nigeria between 2009 and 2021.
Those listed included Bayo Ohu of The Guardian, killed on 20 September 2009; Nathan S. Dabak and Sunday Gyang Bwede of The Light Bearer, killed on 24 April 2010; Zakariya Isa of the Nigerian Television Authority, killed on 22 October 2011; and Enenche Akogwu of Channels Television, killed on 20 January 2012.
Others were Maxwell Nashan of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, killed on 15 January 2020; Alex Ogbu of The Regent Africa Time Magazine, killed on 21 January 2020; Emmanuel Adeyemi of The Sun, killed on 26 October 2020; Titus Badejo of Naija FM, killed on 19 June 2021; and Tordue Salem of Vanguard, killed on 11 November 2021.
The organisation urged the police to build on available evidence, historical records and previous investigative findings to pursue the cases and establish accountability.
It also called for stronger measures to protect journalists, stressing that press freedom remained essential to transparency, democratic accountability and the protection of citizens’ rights.
Arogundade said Giwa’s legacy should not be reduced to annual commemorations and tributes, insisting that it required concrete action to ensure journalists could work without fear.
“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. Journalists deserve to know that the profession they serve is protected by the rule of law,” he said.
He added: “A country cannot credibly celebrate press freedom while leaving one of its most notorious attacks on a journalist unresolved for four decades.”
