Dele Giwa: MRA Demands Action on Court Order, Justice 40 Years After Killing

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Dele Giwa


Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has called on the Federal Government to implement a court order directing the investigation of the 1986 assassination of Dele Giwa, founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch magazine, and the prosecution of those responsible.

The organisation made the demand on Monday, marking 40 years since Giwa was killed by a parcel bomb delivered to his residence in Ikeja, Lagos, on October 19, 1986.

MRA described the failure to resolve the case after four decades as a reminder of what it called the entrenched culture of impunity for attacks against journalists in Nigeria.

In a statement, the organisation’s Deputy Executive Director, Ayode Longe, said the anniversary should go beyond tributes to the late journalist and renew public scrutiny of the authorities’ failure to deliver justice.

“Forty years is far too long for the assassination of a journalist of Dele Giwa’s stature to remain unresolved,” Longe said, warning against allowing the anniversary to become an annual occasion for remembrance without meaningful progress towards accountability.

He recalled that on February 16, 2024, the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered judgment in a suit filed by MRA against the Attorney-General of the Federation, ordering the Federal Government to investigate Giwa’s murder and other unresolved killings of journalists and ensure the prosecution of those responsible.

Longe alleged that the government had yet to demonstrate concrete progress in implementing the judgment, describing its failure to act as a disregard for a valid and subsisting court order.

He urged the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant authorities to publicly explain the steps taken to comply with the ruling, including the status of investigations, measures undertaken and plans for prosecution where supported by evidence and the law.

The MRA official also called for a systematic review of historical investigation files, witness accounts, documentary evidence and other materials that could help establish the circumstances surrounding Giwa’s assassination.

He said authorities should, where feasible, deploy modern forensic and investigative techniques to pursue the case despite the passage of time.

According to him, the failure to hold anyone accountable for the killing sends a damaging message about the safety of journalists and the consequences of violence against media professionals.

Longe said the organisation’s campaign for justice in the Giwa case formed part of its broader efforts to secure accountability for attacks on journalists and strengthen protections for media workers.

He called on the Federal Government to establish effective mechanisms for responding to threats against journalists and investigating attacks on media professionals.

Longe added that a meaningful tribute to Giwa’s legacy must include concrete progress towards justice for him and his family, stronger safeguards for journalists and a renewed commitment to ending impunity for crimes against the media.

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