Dele Giwa: Editors Demand Justice 40 Years After Assassination

The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has urged relevant authorities to reopen the unresolved assassination of renowned journalist Dele Giwa, insisting that the passage of 40 years must not end the quest for justice.

Giwa, co-founder of Newswatch magazine, was killed by a parcel bomb delivered to his home on 19 October 1986. Four decades later, no one has been brought to justice for his murder.

In a statement on Monday to mark the 40th anniversary of the assassination, NGE President Eze Anaba and General Secretary Onuoha Ukeh described the unresolved case as a painful test of Nigeria’s commitment to press freedom, public accountability and the rule of law.

The Guild said the country could not afford to let the case disappear into history, stressing that the responsibility to investigate serious crimes did not expire with time or with changes in government.

“Forty years is a long time to wait for justice. It is an unconscionably long time for a nation that claims to uphold the rule of law,” the Guild said.

It urged the relevant authorities to revisit the case, examine any credible evidence that might still be available, preserve relevant records and pursue every lawful avenue to establish the truth about Giwa’s death.

The NGE, however, cautioned against trial by media, emphasising that its demand was for a credible investigation rather than the condemnation of anyone without evidence.

“We are not calling for trial by media. We are not asking anyone to be condemned without evidence. We are demanding that a grave crime against a Nigerian citizen, a distinguished journalist and the freedom of the press should not remain an enduring symbol of impunity,” it said.

The Guild also highlighted the significance of a book, Dele Giwa’s Granite Journalism, unveiled on Monday to preserve the late journalist’s professional legacy.

It commended NEWSWATCH Plus Limited and Ray Ekpu, the only surviving member of the original Newswatch quartet, for documenting Giwa’s writings for Daily Times, Sunday Concord and Newswatch magazine, alongside tributes from prominent journalists, friends and contemporaries.

Describing Giwa as a journalist of uncommon audacity, intellectual rigour and literary elegance, the NGE said his work demonstrated that Nigerian journalism could fearlessly interrogate those in power while maintaining high professional standards.

According to the Guild, Giwa understood that journalism was neither a public relations department for those in authority nor an instrument for flattering the powerful, but a public trust.

It said his assassination was not merely the killing of an individual but also an attack on the freedom to ask questions, expose wrongdoing and hold those in authority accountable.

The Guild expressed concern that the unresolved murder could send a troubling message to journalists investigating corruption, probing abuses of power or exposing the activities of influential interests.

It questioned whether the passage of time, the death of witnesses or changes in government should diminish the state’s obligation to pursue justice, insisting that the answer must be no.

“An unresolved murder is not a closed chapter. It is an open wound in the nation’s conscience,” it said.

Beyond its demand for justice, the NGE urged contemporary journalists and editors to reflect on the state of the profession, particularly its independence from political and commercial interests.

“Courage without accuracy can become recklessness; independence without ethics can become irresponsibility,” the Guild said, adding that journalism worth defending must be fearless yet scrupulous, independent yet accountable.

The NGE urged editors to protect newsroom integrity, publishers to resist intimidation and journalists to uphold professional discipline amid disinformation, political propaganda, economic pressures and the weaponisation of social media.

It also called on public authorities to tolerate scrutiny and security agencies to protect media practitioners from threats and attacks, stressing that press freedom required more than constitutional guarantees.

According to the Guild, press freedom must be supported by responsible journalism, independent media institutions, and the effective enforcement of laws that protect citizens and the press.

It further warned against reducing Giwa’s memory to annual commemorations without concrete efforts to address the circumstances surrounding his death.

“Remembrance without action risks becoming an elaborate way of accommodating injustice,” it said.

The Guild called for Giwa’s professional ideals to be taught in journalism schools, discussed in newsrooms and preserved in the national historical record. It also urged younger journalists to appreciate the sacrifices made by earlier generations in defending press freedom.

It added that defending press freedom was not the exclusive responsibility of journalists, noting that attacks on media practitioners also threatened citizens’ right to reliable information.

The NGE said Giwa’s legacy should serve both as a monument to professional courage and as a reminder that crimes against journalists must not become permanent symbols of impunity.

“A parcel bomb may have ended Dele Giwa’s life, but it could not extinguish the ideals he represented.

“Dele Giwa is gone, but the questions his murder left behind remain alive. The man was silenced; the search for justice must not,” the Guild said.