40 Years After Dele Giwa’s Death, We Fought Tirelessly For Justice But Failed, Says Ray Ekpu

BY OLUGBENGA SOYELE, SAMUEL ABULUDE, ABIODUN SIVOWAKU

The crème de la crème of the Nigerian media industry and colleagues of the late journalist and founding editor of News Watch, Dele Giwa, on Monday converged in Lagos to pay tribute to the frontline journalist, slain 40 years ago.

Members of the media sector and Dele Giwa’s family converged at the Kensington Adebutu Media Centre within the Nigeria Institute of Journalism, Lagos, to launch a book titled “Dele Giwa’s Granite Journalism exactly forty years after his death.

It would be recalled that Dele Giwa was assassinated in his study room on Sunday, October 19, 1986, via a letter bomb which exploded on his lap.

“It Was Better He Died”: Doctor Recalls Dele Giwa’s Final Moments

Former governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, a media icon, recalled that Dele Giwa had a premonition that he would die, as they had been with the former MD of the News Agency of Nigeria, Kehinde Adeosun, the day before. Osoba narrated that “Dele Giwa had complained to all of us that they were after him. We went to visit Aikhomu, told him about the threat, and he said he would do something about it.

“Eighteen hours later, I was woken up by a phone call that Dele Giwa was attacked. The lesson here is that we should always be good at our profession; Dele Giwa was awesome. I want to appreciate the family, his wife, Funmi Giwa, and his daughter, present. Dele lives on, and he is still communicating in heaven”.

We Fought Tirelessly To Obtain Justice For Him But Without Success- Ray Ekpu

Giwa’s associate, Ray Ekpu, stated that his death put Newswatch into a decade of grief, though they sought justice and didn’t have success. They are consoled by the fact that his legacy lives on.

“That incident turned our day into night and threw us into an abyss of grief. For four decades, his partners, family, and friends have wrestled with sorrow.

“Today marks the 40th anniversary of his assassination. We in Newswatch, along with members of the media community, have fought tirelessly to obtain justice for him, but without success. We also worked closely with his lawyer and friend, the indefatigable Chief Gani Fawehinmi, for several years. Yet the forces of oppression placed high hurdles in our path, making our goal unrealisable.

“At this point, all we can do is leave those who assassinated our partner, friend, and brother in the able hands of God Almighty. The good Lord says, “Vengeance is mine.” That is not the path of least resistance; it is the path of reality and inevitability.

“Today, we are not here to mourn Dele’s death, even though it continues to haunt us like an inscrutable mystery. We are here to give presence to his absence by presenting a book to the public that will memorialise and immortalise him.

“Dele and I lived in two duplexes in Ikeja, and our families related very well. My five-year-old son once told me that he wanted to become a journalist like Daddy and Uncle Dele. A few days after Dele’s assassination, my son came to me and said, “Daddy, I have changed my mind.”

I asked, “Changed your mind about what?”

He said, “I don’t want to be a journalist anymore.”

“When I asked why, he replied, “Don’t want to be killed like Uncle Dele?”

“Even a five-year-old boy knew that journalism was, and still is, a dangerous profession. He changed his mind at that young age, and today he works in a different profession, far away from journalism.

“Journalism is indeed dangerous. Journalists are assigned to cover protests, riots, election campaigns, and wars—activities that carry immense danger. The International Federation of Journalists has disclosed that 128 journalists and media workers were killed worldwide in 2025. In Nigeria, many journalists have been killed in the last 40 years, with no punishment for their killers.”

Whoever said, “The pen is mightier than the sword,” did not have Nigeria in mind.

Ladies and gentlemen, Dele Giwa was a patriot to his fingertips. He fought many battles with his pen for a better Nigeria. That is why several buildings have been named after him by journalism organisations.

Journalists, you have a lot of work to do to make Nigeria the country of our dreams. It is not yet time to rest or relax, because much work remains to achieve a better Nigeria than the one we have today,” says Ekpu in his welcome address.

Ray Ekpu noted that two of their partners who have died now, Dan Agbese and Yakubu Mohammed, had read the manuscript of this book and were pleased with its quality, agreeing that it should be presented to the public today.

Prof Ralph Akinfeleye eulogised Dele Giwa and stated that he practised Journalism of Conscience.

Nosa Igiebor of Newswatch magazine recounted some of the details of his brutal killings as he was in office ahead of a 1pm editorial meeting when Kayode Soyinka called him about the sad news, as Kayode was hurt too. He wondered, “How could anyone do this to a fellow human being? How could somebody do this no matter what he wrote? Dele Giwa is not dead. He lives on and has left a great legacy.

The publisher of The Cable, Simon Kolawole, who wrote the book review, made a brilliant submission under the theme “The Pen That Outlived The Bomb.” He noted that there were 45 write-ups by Dele Giwa in the book, including 16 pieces by others on Dele. He stated that Dele Giwa was a powerful writer, lucid, playful, and provocative in his writing.

Dele Giwa’s daughter, who appreciated all that came to honour his father, noted that she was only a year old when his father died and barely knew him, but all that has been said about him was love.

Dele Giwa Was A Standout Legend, Spoke Truth To Power – Vanguard Publisher

Vanguard Publisher, Sam Amuka-Pemu, who extolled the virtues of the slain journalist, said that Dele’s legacy lives on, adding that the Journalist was a standout legend.

“This fine boy, whose picture is there, was only 39 when he left. When I think of it, I ask, did Dele really die? When you think deeply, he was swept away, taken away by force. But after 40 years, here we are all, his colleagues, thinking about him, honouring him.

Let us all pray that when our time is up, our friends and colleagues will remember us and honour us as well.

“In his journalism career, Dele Giwa was a standout legend. He spoke truth to power. He had a razor-sharp pen. He had a stunning lack of sentimentality. He was the conscience of press freedom. He had a fierce intellect.

“He loved the sting and clash of battle and made a roaring success of his beautiful career. His prose was a cousin to poetry. His articles assembled yet say so. The masters of this writing craft, some of the best Nigeria has ever produced.”

** Dele Giwa Was Journalism Personified – Shobanjo**

Founder, Insight Communications Ltd, Dr Biodun Shobanjo, stated that he witnessed Dele, his very good friend, breathe his last.

“Today is not a day for mourning. It is a day of celebrating a great man, Dele Giwa, who was my very good friend. 40 years ago, on that Sunday, I was at home, living almost diagonally opposite First Foundation Hospital. The late Dr Tosin Ajayi, the hospital’s owner, called me and said, “Biodun, where are you?” I said I was at home; he said come over, so anyway, I walked across to the hospital, and if you know that hospital very well, there are steps before you get to the landing, and I met Funmi (Dele Giwa’s wife), and she was holding her hand stained with blood, and I met Tosin, who led me to where Dele was being treated, so aside the medical staff who were attending to Dele on that day, Tosin Ajayi, two doctors, two nurses, I was the only one who was there when Dele breathed his last.

“I didn’t understand what was going on, so I kept saying to Tosin, Tosin, what’s going on, what’s going on? ‘ and I saw Dele, but they couldn’t break the news to Dele’s wife.

”I became the external member of Newswatch communications. I was there every week, and of course we also were handling the advertising for the magazine at that time, so it was important for me to go and talk to my clients, and we put heads together, Ray, the other partners, some of these gentlemen who are here today.

“So for me, Dele can never die, because that was who he was. I mean, he was an enigma; he was larger than life. He was a journalist personified. So as we celebrate him with the launch of this book, I think we should all take pride in who Dele was: a friend, husband, father, colleague and a fantastic journalist,” says Shobanjo.

Ray Ekpu noted that the book is dedicated to three men who brought Dele from the New York Times in the United States to the Daily Times in Nigeria: “the late Stanley Macebuh, Yemi Ogunbiyi, who is still with us, and Chief Gani Fawehinmi, who waged relentless legal battles for Dele before and after his assassination. Gani is dead, but we remember him immeasurably.”

Among those who came to honour the trailblazing writer and editor, Dele Giwa, at the book launch of Dele Giwa’s Granite Journalism were Sam Amuka-Pemu,

Aremo Segun Osoba, Dr Yemi Ogunbiyi, Widow of Dele Giwa, Mrs Funmi Giwa

Aisha – daughter of Dele Giwa, Iyalode of Remoland, Chief Nduka Obaigbena,

Muyiwa Adetiba, Nosa Igiebor, Chuka Momoh, Onome Osifo-Whiskey, Prof Ralph Akinfeleye, Tony Iyere, Eniola Bello, Emeka Iseze, Kunle Ajibade, Dr Dokun Adedeji, Ray Ekpu, and Soji Akinrinade, who made the vote of thanks.

NBA President Calls For Justice, Press Freedom 40 Years After Dele Giwa’s Assassination

The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mrs Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, has renewed calls for press freedom, journalist protection and accountability for attacks on media professionals, 40 years after veteran journalist Dele Giwa was killed in a parcel-bomb attack.

Giwa, founding editor-in-chief of Newswatch magazine, was killed at his Lagos residence on 19 October 1986, after a parcel bomb was delivered to him.

His assassination shocked the journalism profession and provoked widespread public outrage. The circumstances of his death have continued to raise questions about justice and accountability.

In a statement on Monday marking the anniversary, Badejo-Okusanya said the passage of time should neither diminish the value of human life nor weaken society’s commitment to protecting those who ask difficult questions in the public interest.

She described Giwa’s death as a painful loss to his family, the journalism profession and Nigeria.

The senior lawyer further stressed the need to preserve freedom of expression and to ensure that attacks on journalists do not become cases in which demands for justice fade over time.

The anniversary also draws renewed attention to the justice system’s role in addressing violence against journalists.

Badejo-Okusanya also said lawyers and journalists shared a responsibility to scrutinise the exercise of power, promote accountability and give a voice to people who might otherwise remain unheard.

“Our professions serve the public best when we discharge that responsibility with courage, integrity and care,” she said.

The NBA President reaffirmed the association’s commitment to defending freedom of expression and protecting the dignity and safety of journalists and others who provide information to the public.

Badejo-Okusanya said Giwa’s life and work remained worthy of remembrance, adding that the anniversary should strengthen the resolve to uphold press freedom, protect human life and defend the principles of justice and accountability.