Forty years after the parcel bomb murder of veteran journalist and founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch, Chief Dele Giwa, his close friend and colleague, Ray Ekpu, says the media community has given up on its quest for justice over the killing.
Ekpu, however, said he remains convinced that divine justice awaits those responsible for the gruesome death of Giwa, who was killed at his residence in Ikeja, Lagos, on October 19, 1986.
The veteran journalist spoke at the presentation of Dele Giwa’s Granite Journalism, a book commemorating the 40th anniversary of Giwa’s death, held at the Sir Kensington Adebutu Media Resource Centre, Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Ogba, Lagos.
Ekpu said the late human rights lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, and members of the media community were relentless in their efforts to uncover those behind Giwa’s murder and secure justice, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
He attributed the failure to what he described as the powerful forces allegedly behind the killing.
Describing October 19, 1986, as one of the darkest days in the history of Nigerian journalism, Ekpu said Giwa’s murder demonstrated the enormous dangers journalists face in the course of pursuing the truth.
He urged journalists not to abandon the truth despite the risks, stressing that the media remained critical to putting society on the right path.
Ekpu expressed concern that journalists who speak truth to power are often left without adequate protection, but said the pursuit of a better Nigeria must continue.
Describing Giwa as his bosom friend, colleague and a legend who mastered the pen, Ekpu said his death “turned the day into night” and plunged colleagues, friends and family into deep grief.
He said the gathering was not merely to mourn Giwa but to honour his legacy, give “presence to his absence” and immortalise his contributions to journalism.
Ekpu said the book contains Giwa’s articles published in the Daily Times, Concord and Newswatch, alongside some of his radio interviews, describing the collection as unique.
Also speaking, the Publisher of Vanguard Newspaper, Uncle Sam Amuka, urged journalists and other media professionals to live exemplary lives that future generations could emulate.
Amuka said genuine protests could produce positive results when they were directed at making legitimate demands from government. He cited the EndSARS protest and the suspension of toll collection at the Lekki Toll Gate among its gains.
The 91-year-old media veteran expressed sadness that Giwa’s life was brutally cut short at the age of 39 and recommended the book to members of the public, including those outside the journalism profession.
Former Ogun State Governor, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, recalled that Giwa appeared to have a premonition of his death shortly before he was killed.
Osoba said that on Saturday, October 18, 1986, after a session in Victoria Island, Giwa told him that some people were after him.
He said he subsequently led Giwa and others to meet the then Chief of General Staff, Rear Admiral Augustus Aikhomu, to raise the concern, adding that Aikhomu promised to do something about it.
Osoba said he woke up about 18 hours later to receive the shocking news of the attack on Giwa.
He challenged journalists to strive for excellence in the profession, noting that Giwa was a highly intellectual journalist whose mastery of the craft set him apart.
The event was attended by Giwa’s widow, his daughters, Funmi and Aishat, as well as journalists, friends, professional colleagues and family members.
