Nigerians on Sunday 19th October remembered the late Dele Giwa, a renowned journalist and founder of Newswatch magazine, 39 years after his assassination by a parcel bomb at his Lagos home in 1986 — a murder that remains unresolved.
Giwa, who was the editor-in-chief of Newswatch, was killed on October 19, 1986, after receiving a package that exploded in his hands. His death shocked the nation and drew international outrage, highlighting the risks faced by journalists in Nigeria during the military era.
Born on March 16, 1947, Giwa was known for his fearless investigative reports and strong criticism of corruption and abuse of power. He studied English and Communication Arts at Brooklyn College in New York, where he earned both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees before returning to Nigeria in 1976 after working briefly with The New York Times.
Before his death, Giwa had been invited for questioning by the State Security Service (SSS) and the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI) over allegations linking him to a socialist revolution and arms importation. His last published article had criticised the government’s Second-Tier Foreign Exchange Market (SFEM) policy, warning that if it failed, Nigerians might “stone their leaders in the streets.”
Two days before his death, Giwa was questioned by SSS officials. A day before the assassination, a senior DMI officer, Halilu Akilu, reportedly called Giwa’s residence asking for directions to his home. On the morning of October 19, Giwa received a parcel shortly after a telephone conversation with Akilu, who had assured him that the earlier matter had been resolved.
Moments later, the package exploded in Giwa’s hands, fatally injuring him. He was rushed to the hospital but died shortly after. His colleague, Kayode Soyinka, Newswatch’s London bureau chief, narrowly escaped the blast.
Although various individuals, including former military officers, have been mentioned over the years, no one has ever been prosecuted for the killing.
Nearly four decades later, Giwa’s assassination remains one of Nigeria’s most haunting media tragedies.
For many in the journalism community, his life and death symbolize courage, integrity, and the enduring struggle for press freedom in the country.
