The Federal High Court in Abuja has mandated the government to investigate and prosecute the perpetrators behind the assassination of renowned journalist Dele Giwa and other media practitioners.
The court, presided over by Justice Inyang Ekwo, issued the directive following a suit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of Media Rights Agenda, demanding justice for slain journalists.
Dele Giwa, the founder of Newswatch Magazine, was brutally murdered in his home in Ikeja, Lagos, on October 19, 1986, by a parcel bomb.
During his 37 years Remembrance, Activist Omoyele Sowore On his X handle said, “Exactly today (October 19, 1986) 37 years ago, military head of state, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (notoriously known as “IBB) sent a letter bomb to the Lagos residence of topmost journalist, Dele Giwa, the bomb ripped through his lower abdomen and killed him.
“Till date his killers were never brought to justice. Rest in Power, Dele Giwa. May your spirit continue to torment Babangida and others who conspired to kill you in your prime.”
Meanwhile, The court’s order extends beyond Giwa’s case, other journalists who had also lost their lives while performing their duties. Names such as Bolade Fasisi of National Association of Women Journalists, Edward Olalekan of Daily Times, Godwin Agbroko and Abayomi Ogundeji of Thisday, Omololu Falobi of The Punch and Edo Sule-Ugbagwu of The Nation, were mentioned in the affidavit submitted to the court.
The court also ordered the Nigerian government to ensure that there is proper security and safety for journalists, as enshrined in sections 33 and 39 of the Constitution and Articles 4 and 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.
