General Ibrahim Babangida (retd.), Nigeria’s Former Military President has distanced himself from the death of veteran journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch, Dele Giwa.
On October 19, 1986, Dele Giwa who was a pronounced critic of IBB’s military government, was assassinated through a parcel bomb in his home in Ikeja, Lagos State.
Prior to the incident, a senior official of the Directorate of Military Intelligence, had indicted Giwa of illegitimately importing and stockpiling arms and ammunition to stage a socialist revolution in Nigeria.
Hearing the allegation, Giwa hurriedly informed his lawyer, Gani Fawehinmi.
At the aftermath, a security chief, Colonel Halilu Akilu, called to give assurance to Giwa that the allegation had emanated from a misunderstanding, that the matter had been subsided, and that Giwa should not think anything about it.
In accordance with Ray Ekpu, Giwa’s colleague at Newswatch, some hours later, a government delegate arrived at Giwa’s Ikeja residence. His son, Billy, collected the parcel and handed it to his father, who was relaxing at the dining table in the warm reception of Kayode Soyinka, the London correspondent of Newswatch, visiting from the UK. The envelope was labeled with the seal of the Presidency and was inscribed “To be opened by addressee only.”
On the other hand, refuting the longtime accusation that he had an involvement in Giwa’s death, Babangida, as stated in his autobiography, “A Journey in Service,” presented in Abuja on Thursday, highlighted that he expected that one day, the truth would be revealed.
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 showcased the launch of Babangida’s presidential library.
President Bola Tinubu was present at the event, while former presidents, former military leaders, and captains of industry, including Alhaji Aliko Dangote and many other dignitaries were also present.
