BY JOSEPH ODOEKWU, KSM
The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has called on the Federal Government to comply with and fully implement the court order directing it to investigate the assassination of Dele Giwa, 40 years after his murder.
According to a press statement issued by Idowu Adewale, Communications Officer of MRA in Lagos on Monday, October 19, 2026, to mark the 40th anniversary of the killing of the founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch magazine, MRA described the government’s failure to bring the case to a conclusive resolution as a “shameful reminder of the entrenched culture of impunity for attacks against journalists in Nigeria.”
Dele Giwa was assassinated on October 19, 1986, through a parcel bomb delivered to his residence in Ikeja, Lagos.
MRA’s Deputy Executive Director, Mr. Ayode Longe, said the anniversary should not just be an occasion to remember an accomplished journalist, but should serve as a moment for renewed public scrutiny of the failure to deliver justice.
“Forty years is far too long for the assassination of a journalist of Dele Giwa’s stature to remain unresolved. His killing must not be reduced to a recurring anniversary in Nigeria’s media calendar, accompanied by tributes and expressions of outrage but without meaningful progress towards accountability,” Longe said.
Longe recalled that on February 16, 2024, MRA secured judgment at the Federal High Court in Abuja, in a case it brought against the Attorney-General of the Federation, in which the court ordered the Federal Government to investigate Mr. Giwa’s murder and other unresolved killings of journalists and to ensure the prosecution of the perpetrators.
He noted that the Federal Government has not demonstrated any progress or reported on any concrete steps taken, describing the government’s attitude as a contemptuous disregard for a valid and subsisting judicial order.
He called on the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Nigeria Police Force and all other relevant authorities to provide a clear account of steps taken to implement the court’s order, including the status of the investigation and plans for prosecution.
Longe argued that the passage of time does not extinguish the State’s responsibility to pursue accountability, and urged authorities to explore all lawful investigative avenues, including a systematic review of historical investigation files, witness accounts, documentary evidence and modern forensic techniques.
“The failure to resolve the Giwa case after four decades sends a damaging message about the safety of journalists in Nigeria,” he said.
He added that MRA’s campaign for justice in the Giwa case forms part of its broader efforts to secure accountability for the killings of journalists in Nigeria, and called on the Federal Government to institute mechanisms for guaranteeing the safety of journalists.
“As Nigeria marks four decades since his assassination, the most fitting tribute to Dele Giwa would be demonstrable progress towards justice for him and his family, stronger guarantees for the safety of journalists, and a national commitment to ending impunity for crimes against journalists,” Longe said