In a candid and reflective moment, former Nigerian military leader Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) has addressed the ongoing controversy surrounding the murder of journalist Dele Giwa, suggesting it was part of a calculated plot to destabilize his administration.
Dele Giwa, the influential Editor-in-Chief and co-founder of ‘Newswatch’ magazine, was killed by a parcel bomb delivered to his residence in Ikeja on October 19, 1986, during Babangida’s rule. The unsolved murder, which remains a deeply troubling chapter in Nigeria’s media history, shocked the nation.
In his newly released memoir, ‘A Journey in Service’, Babangida forcefully denied any involvement in Giwa’s death, rejecting claims that his government was behind the assassination.
He criticised the idea that such an attack would bear a “presidential” mark, arguing that no assassin would be so reckless as to leave such an obvious clue.
Babangida’s recollections, shared in Chapter 10 of his 420-page memoir, delve into the turbulence of his administration, placing Giwa’s murder alongside other defining crises, including the failed Vatsa coup, the notorious Gideon Orkar coup, the controversies surrounding Nigeria’s membership in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the riots triggered by the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), and the tragic C-140 air crash.
Reflecting on Giwa’s death, Babangida expressed a profound personal loss, describing the journalist as a close friend and confidant.
“We spoke often on the phone and met a few times.
“I valued his deep insight into national issues and respected his role as a leader in the media,” he wrote, emphasising the emotional impact of Giwa’s murder.
Yet, Babangida said his sorrow was compounded by the political firestorm that erupted in its wake and the emergence of a chilling new method of assassination in Nigeria.
The former president recounted the grim morning when Giwa was at breakfast with ‘Newswatch’s’ London Bureau Chief, Kayode Soyinka, when the parcel bomb detonated, fatally injuring him.
Babangida noted that the murder came shortly after he had deposed General Muhammadu Buhari and amidst the uproar over the OIC issue, which had led to the retirement of his deputy, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe.
He believed Giwa’s killing was a deliberate attack on his administration, a “booby trap” meant to destabilize his government by targeting someone close to him.
“Giwa was not just a journalist; he was a person of great public interest. His murder would have sent shockwaves through the public, painting the government in a weak and vulnerable light,” Babangida wrote.
Despite persistent accusations, Babangida dismissed suggestions that his government was behind the assassination, calling them “cheap and foolish.”
He asked, “Why would a government-sanctioned assassination leave such an obvious trace? Why would an official plot carry a forwarding address pointing directly to the killer?”
Babangida described the pressure on him as a leader during such a crisis, noting that he had relied on the police and intelligence services to investigate the case, directing daily reports on the progress of the investigation.
So why, nearly four decades later, is Giwa’s murder still unsolved? Babangida placed much of the blame on the media and political figures, arguing that the involvement of prominent lawyer Gani Fawehinmi and the sensationalist media coverage turned the case into a political spectacle rather than a criminal investigation.
“The involvement of Fawehinmi and the media’s populist approach poisoned the investigation with political overtones,” Babangida reflected.
He argued that by framing his administration as the primary suspect, the investigation was clouded by political bias, which stymied real progress.
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“Crimes can be committed by anyone, and not necessarily by the government or military. The investigation was hijacked by political grandstanding, making it nearly impossible to uncover the truth.”
He criticised the Nigerian media for its adversarial stance, claiming that the “we versus the government” mentality made unbiased investigations nearly impossible. “The media often presumes guilt even before the evidence is presented,” he wrote.
Babangida noted that even when President Olusegun Obasanjo reopened the case through the Oputa Panel on Human Rights, no significant new evidence came to light.
As for the murder of Dele Giwa, Babangida concluded, “Like many mysterious murders, the case remains unsolved. I can only hope that the truth will eventually come to light, whether in our lifetime or after us.”
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