The Federal High Court in Abuja issued a directive on Friday, instructing the Federal Government to reopen investigations and prosecutions concerning the murder of Dele Giwa, the founder of Newswatch Magazine, in 1986. This decision, delivered by Justice Inyang Ekwo, also mandates a renewed investigation into other cases of extrajudicial killings involving journalists in Nigeria.
Specifically, the court ordered the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to initiate the investigative process. It emphasized the AGF’s responsibility as the Chief Law Officer to prosecute individuals implicated in the deaths of Dele Giwa and other media professionals in the country.
Dele Giwa tragically lost his life due to a letter bomb sent to his Lagos office on October 19, 1986, a case that has remained unresolved for decades.
This court order stems from a lawsuit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of Media Rights Agenda (MRA), seeking the enforcement of media practitioners’ fundamental rights to safety as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The Attorney-General of the Federation was named as the defendant in the case.
Dele Giwa
In his ruling, Justice Ekwo emphasized the government’s obligation to ensure the safety and protection of journalists in Nigeria, aligning with the constitutional provisions outlined in sections 33 and 39, as well as Articles 4 and 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
