LAGOS — 1986 · Unsolved Case
Assassination of Dele Giwa
Dele Giwa, founding editor-in-chief of Nigeria's pioneering news magazine Newswatch, was killed on 19 October 1986 by a letter bomb delivered to his home in Ikeja, Lagos. The parcel bore the national coat of arms and a note saying it was from the office of the commander-in-chief. Shortly before his death Giwa had been questioned by the State Security Service. It was the first known killing of a Nigerian journalist by parcel bomb and became a symbol of press repression under military rule. Despite persistent campaigning and the Oputa Panel of 2001, no one was ever prosecuted.
- Date
- 1986
- Place
- Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, Lagos, NG
- Category
- Unsolved Case
- Case Status
- Unsolved
- Coordinates
- 6.6018, 3.3515 ↗
Timeline of Events
- October 1986Giwa was questioned by the State Security Service.
- 19 October 1986He was killed by a parcel bomb he opened at home.
- 1986–1987His partners tried to bring the case to court; no prosecution followed.
- 2001The Oputa human rights investigation panel examined the case without result.
Sources
- Sahara Reporters — Kayode Soyinka on the Dele Giwa parcel bomb saharareporters.com ↗
- Wikipedia — Dele Giwa en.wikipedia.org ↗
- Sahara Reporters
- Premium Times
- Wikipedia
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.