Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has called on the Federal Government to implement a court order directing it to investigate the assassination of Dele Giwa, founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch magazine, and prosecute those responsible for his death.
The call came on Monday, October 19, 2026, as Nigeria’s media community marked 40 years since Giwa was killed by a parcel bomb delivered to his residence in Ikeja, Lagos, on October 19, 1986.
In a statement issued in Lagos to mark the anniversary, MRA described the failure to resolve the case four decades later as a “shameful reminder of the entrenched culture of impunity for attacks against journalists in Nigeria.”
The organisation’s Deputy Executive Director, Ayode Longe, said the anniversary should go beyond remembering Giwa’s contributions to journalism and serve as an opportunity to scrutinise the continued failure to deliver justice.
He said: “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.”
MRA Recalls 2024 Court Judgment
Longe recalled that on February 16, 2024, MRA secured a judgment at the Federal High Court in Abuja in a suit against the Attorney-General of the Federation.
According to him, the court ordered the Federal Government to investigate Giwa’s murder, alongside other unresolved killings of journalists, and ensure the prosecution of those responsible.
However, he said the government had yet to demonstrate progress or report concrete steps taken to establish the facts surrounding the assassination, identify the perpetrators and pursue accountability under the law.
He described the government’s failure to act as a contemptuous disregard for a valid and subsisting judicial order.
Longe called on the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant authorities to provide a clear account of the steps taken to implement the judgment.
He said such an account should include the status of the investigation, measures undertaken and plans for prosecution where the available evidence and applicable law warrant it.
MRA Recommends Fresh Investigation
The MRA deputy executive director maintained that the passage of time does not extinguish the state’s responsibility to pursue justice for an unlawful killing.
He urged the authorities to explore all lawful investigative avenues, including 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 also said modern forensic and investigative techniques should be used where appropriate and feasible.
According to Longe, the failure to resolve the case after four decades sends a damaging message about the safety of journalists in Nigeria and the consequences of violence against those exercising their right to freedom of expression.
He added that leaving such a high-profile killing unresolved sends the wrong signal to those inclined to attack journalists because of their work, suggesting that they can act without facing consequences.
MRA Calls for Stronger Protection for Journalists
Longe said the organisation’s campaign for justice in Giwa’s case forms part of its broader efforts to secure accountability for the killings of journalists in Nigeria.
He called on the Federal Government to establish mechanisms that guarantee journalists’ safety, ensure law enforcement agencies respond effectively to threats and attacks, and demonstrate through concrete action that violence against media professionals will not be tolerated.
He noted that Giwa’s legacy includes the development of a media sector committed to investigating public affairs, holding those in power accountable and providing citizens with information necessary for participation in public life.
According to him, a meaningful commemoration of Giwa’s life and work requires renewed commitment to the principles of independent journalism, including truth, accountability, professional courage and the public’s right to know.
Longe said: “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 and other media professionals.”
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