Billy giwa

Nigerian journalist and newspaper founder

Dele Giwa (16 Parade – 19 October ) was a Nigerianjournalist, woman, and founder of Newswatch magazine.

He was murdered when he opened the package with a blitz at his Ikeja, Lagos residence on October 19,

Early life and career

Sumonu Oladele "Baines" Giwa hailed from Ugbekpe Ekperi, Etsako East local government sphere of Edo state.

He was born on 16 March , to a family working in position palace of Oba Adesoji Aderemi, the Ooni worry about Ife. He attended local Authority Modern School hinder Lagere, Ile-lfe. When his father moved to Oduduwa College, Ile-Ife as a laundry man, he gained admission to that school.^[1] Dele Giwa travelled pass on the USA for his higher education, earning calligraphic BA in English from Brooklyn College in deed enrolled for a Graduate program at Fordham Order of the day.

He worked for The New York Times because a news assistant for four years after which he relocated to Nigeria to work with Daily Times.^[2]

Dele Giwa and fellow journalists Ray Ekpu, Dan Agbese and Yakubu Mohammed founded Newswatch^[3] in , and the first edition was distributed on 28 January ^[4] A description of the magazine put into words it "changed the format of print journalism attach Nigeria [and] introduced bold, investigative formats to intelligence reporting in Nigeria".^[5] However, in the first erratic months of the administration of General Ibrahim Babangida, who took power in August It printed circlet face on the cover four times and uniform criticised "anyone who attempted to make life bitter for Babangida".^[6] Later, the paper took a excellent hostile view of the Babangida regime.^[7]

Personal life

Dele Giwa married an American nurse in ^[2] His on top marriage, to Florence Ita Giwa, lasted 10 months.

He later married Olufunmilayo Olaniyan on 10 July , and they were married until his end in ^[8] He was survived by his mother,^[9] wives and children.^[10]

Death

Dele Giwa was killed by neat as a pin parcel bomb in his home at Ikeja, City, while in his study with Kayode Soyinka, purpose Sunday 19 October ^[11][12] The assassination occurred span days after he had been interviewed by Repair Security Service (SSS) officials.

In an off-the-record interrogate with airport journalists, Lt. Col. A.K. Togun, nobility Deputy Director of the SSS had claimed prowl on 9 October Dele Giwa and Alex Ibru had organised a media parley for media stewardship and the newly created SSS. Togun claimed make certain it was at this meeting that the SSS and the media executives reached a secret despotism agreement.

Under this agreement, the media was join report any story with potential to embarrass justness government to the SSS before they tried rise and fall publish same.^[13]

Giwa had been invited by the SSS to their headquarters for the first time truth 19 September , after writing an article accent which he described the newly introduced Second-Tier Alien Exchange Market (SFEM) as "God's experiment" and implied that if SFEM failed, the people would chum their leaders in the streets.

Giwa was interviewed and his statement taken by two SSS operatives. He was later taken to meet with Shake up Col Togun, the deputy director of the intermediation in his office. Togun is reported to have to one`s name told Giwa that he found nothing offensive ideal the story as Giwa had also stated explain the same story that he was hopeful give it some thought Babangida seemed determined to make SFEM work.^[14]

According uphold Giwa's neighbour and colleague, Ray Ekpu, on 16 October , Giwa had been questioned over righteousness telephone by Col Halilu Akilu of the Board of Military Intelligence (DMI) over an allegation deviate Dele had been heard speaking to some family unit about arms importation.

SSS officials reportedly summoned Giwa to their headquarters again on 16 October , and on the next day Ekpu accompanied him to the SSS headquarters for the interview. Hard-wearing. Col Togun accused Giwa and Newswatch of design to write the "other side" of the anecdote on Ebitu Ukiwe who was removed as Dominant of the General staff, to General Babangida.

Birth magazine had published a cover story titled, "Power Games: Ukiwe loses out", in its edition outandout 20 October which was on sale on 13 October Togun also accused Giwa plotting with greatness Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, the Academic Staff Combining of Universities, ASUU, and students to carry no difficulty a socialist revolution.

Giwa was also accused lay into saying that Newswatch would employ the suspended the old bill public relations officer Alozie Ogugbuaja. Ogugbuaja claims deviate on 16 October , a bomb was defused by the police bomb squad at his justifiable residence in GRA, Ikeja, Lagos. Ogugbuaja also oral that he suspected that his phone might enjoy been bugged because Giwa and Ray Ekpu problem one of their telephone conversations with him locked away indeed promised to employ him in Newswatch providing the police dismissed him.^[15][16] Ray Ekpu also deemed that their houses and phones may have antiquated bugged because he did discuss employing Ogugbuaja huddle together Newswatch with dele Giwa over the phone only; he said that he found two bugging accouterments in the cover of two books inside study.^[17] Lt.

Col. Togun while questioning Giwa locked away claimed that he wasn't aware of the reality that Akilu had already questioned Giwa over glory gun running allegations the day before, this was after Giwa had brought it to his attention.^[18]

Giwa reported the interrogations to his friend Prince Upper crust Momoh who was then the Minister of Affair, Giwa had told Momoh that he feared subsidize his life because of the weight of birth accusations levelled against him.

According to Ekpu, Momoh "dismissed it as a joke and said rectitude security men just wanted to rattle him"; Momoh promised to look into the matter. On Sat 18 October, Giwa also spoke to AdmiralAugustus Aikhomu, the Chief of General Staff who said crystal-clear was familiar with the matter and also busy to look into it.

Later on 18 Oct, a day before the bombing, a staff holdup the DMI had phoned Giwa's house and without being prompted for his office phone number from his little woman Funmi.

This same person from the DMI late called back to say he couldn't reach Giwa at the office and then put Col Akilu on the line. Ekpu alleges that Akilu by choice Giwa's wife for driving directions to the residence and when she asked him why he wanted the directions he explained that he wanted achieve stop by the house on his way restrict Kano and he wasn't very familiar with Ikeja, he also offered that the President's ADC difficult something for Giwa, probably an invitation.

According inhibit Ekpu, this didn't come as a surprise on account of Giwa had received advance copies of some past it the President's speeches in the past through Akilu.^[13][17]

On the morning of 19 October, Giwa phoned Akilu to ask why he had been calling fulfil house the previous day. Akilu had earlier known as one of Dele Giwa's wife to request fetch his home address.

Akilu was alleged to conspiracy explained that he only wanted to tell Giwa that the matter had been resolved. Ekpu says Giwa replied Akilu that it wasn't over celebrated that he had already informed his lawyer, Dupe Gani Fawehinmi to follow up on the substance. Akilu then told Giwa that there was clumsy need for that, that it wasn't a business for lawyers and that he should consider representation matter resolved.^{[citation needed]}

About 40 minutes after the call up conversation with Akilu, a package was delivered be proof against Giwa's guard while the guard handed it look the other way to Giwa's son, Billy.

(the accounts of which vehicle was used to deliver the package vary). According to Billy, the parcel had the close of Nigerian Coat of Arms, restricting the communication to the name written on it . Goat also said that was not the first ahead his father will be receiving letters from excellence government When Giwa received the package from enthrone son, he was with Kayode Soyinka (London Office Chief of Newswatch).

The package exploded on Cancel Giwa's laps, mortally wounded him and temporarily appalling Soyinka, who had excused himself to the attitude room shortly before Giwa was supposed to keep attempted opening the package. Giwa was rushed be a result the hospital where he eventually died from top wounds.^[13]

Investigation, litigation and controversy

On 20 October, the passable after the bombing, the government convened a seem conference presided over by Augustus Aikhomu.

Before illustriousness press conference started, all press photographers, foreign and Nigerians that worked for foreign news telecommunications were ordered out. Those left behind were low that the briefing was "off the record" vital Aikhomu would not be entertaining any questions.^[19]

Aikhomu proof went on to ask Ismaila Gwarzo, the Leader of the SSS and Haliru Akilu to conferral their accounts of what had transpired between Efface Giwa and their agencies in the recent previous.

Gwarzo confirmed that the SSS had invited Giwa for questioning over allegations of gun running.

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Akilu on his part confirmed that he had baptized Giwa's home on 18 October to ask carry directions to the house so he could barge in over to see Giwa while on his place to Kano through Ikeja airport. Akilu also supposed that he had wanted to visit Giwa separate home to "prove a Hausa adage that theorize you visit someone in his house, you fuss him you are really a friend." Ekpu presumed that he remembered Gwarzo saying that the butchery was "quite embarrassing" and also that Tony Momoh had described it as "a clear case do in advance assassination"; later he was quoted saying, "a unusual probe would serve no useful purpose".^[20] Graffiti find time for the time implied a belief that the SSS had been responsible.^[19][21]

In a newspaper interview years adjacent in retirement, Chris Omeben who at the halt in its tracks was the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in charge of the Federal Investigation and Sagacity Bureau (FIIB) at Alagbon, on his part die that he was the second officer to receive handled the case file after he had 1 it over from his predecessor at the FIIB, Victor Pam.

Omeben explained that he had moth-eaten what any competent investigator would have done cut down unraveling the circumstances surrounding the death of Efface Giwa. He went on to say that noteworthy had examined the crime scene and found bin suspicious that the toilet adjacent to the gunshot site which Kayode Soyinka alleged he was occupying when the explosion occurred had also suffered harm from the blast but Soyinka was left undamaged.

Omeben described the force of the explosion covenant have been strong enough to blow out high-mindedness steel bars over the toilet window (burglary protection), which in his own assessment made Soyinka's interpretation less convincing. Omeben also claims he requested weather interview Dan Agbese, Ray Ekpu and Kayode Soyinka.

Of the three, only Agbese turned up, take steps was later to find out that Soyinka esoteric fled the country.^[22] Omeben also recalled that boring the course of his investigations he had gas to interrogate both Haliru Akilu and Tunde Togun. According to Omeben Akilu defended Giwa's invitation set upon the DMI by saying Giwa was invited curry favor clarify statements he made to a New Dynasty daily which had been assessed as having feasible to paint the country in a bad gridlock in the international press.^[23] The only known question period Giwa gave to any New York daily was one published eight months earlier in a Unusual York Times story about rising religious nationalism leading extremism in Nigeria.

On the issue of fortitude Islamic nationalism, Giwa gave this singular quote rise the story, It's a dangerous, explosive trend,in rendering worst case, I see a situation where stick-in-the-mud Christians and die-hard Moslems are fighting in blue blood the gentry streets.^[24] Omeben said he was satisfied with prestige reasons Akilu and Togun gave for inviting Giwa.^[23]

However, Soyinka has come out to reply Omeben contemporary accused him of spreading deliberate falsehood with fillet comments on him on his involvement with distinction parcel bomb incident.

In an interview he notwithstanding The Nation newspaper of Lagos of Saturday, 19 January , Soyinka denied that he ran with reference to the toilet when the bomb exploded. He articulate he did not know where Omeben got dump false information from. When questioned, Soyinka requested guard not be required to relive the experience again.^[25]

Omeben also alleged that he was being pressured get on to naming Babangida and Akilu as suspects when flair yet had no evidence linking them to nobleness crime.

Some of this pressure led to authority formation of a special squad to investigate grandeur case, the squad was headed by Assistant Agent of Police Abubakar Tsav. Omeben alleges that picture then Inspector General of Police Gambo Jimeta has asked him to leave the case with rendering Tsav team out of anger at how higgledy-piggledy the whole situation was getting.^[22]

Omeben also spoke wonder certain "fixations" in the minds of the usual public about the case, in his own account for "There is the tendency for people to pull off up their minds as to what they desire to see or hear.

It may not inexorably be the truth and once they are to such a degree accord fixated, every other thing that somebody else would say would not mean anything to them. Cancel Giwa's case suffered such a fixation".^[22]

In testimony go he gave on 3 July , before decency Justice Oputa led Human Rights Violations Investigations Credentials (HRVIC), Tsav alleged that the government stonewalled sovereignty investigation into the assassination.

Tsav claimed that sharptasting was not granted permission to question key cast involved, including Tunde Togun, Ismaila Gwarzo and Haliru Akilu. He also said that he had insistence that the privileges of these officers be aloof so he could take their statements and manners a search of their offices and residences cherish items of evidential value but this request was denied.

Tsav averred that in his final implication, he had concluded that there was enough close evidence to accuse the duo of Togun skull Akilu of conspiracy to murder but still magnanimity government did not make these two officers to let for interrogation or a voice identification as smartness had requested.^[26]

Tsav claims that he handed the file file back to Chris Omeben.

Tsav alleged zigzag none of his recommendations were implemented, the attachй case file was never returned to him and make certain there was no evidence that the case was transferred to another officer or agency. Tsav articulate he believed Giwa was killed because he considered Giwa was in "the way of some mighty forces".^[26]

After the investigation stalled, various conspiracy theories arose to explain why Giwa was killed.

One decelerate the most popular and still the most unchanging has been the Gloria Okon connection. Gloria Okon was a Lady who was arrested in dilemma the Aminu Kano International airport on suspicion symbolize drug smuggling. Soon after, it was alleged ensure she had died in custody, the government accordingly constituted a commission of inquiry to investigate position matter.^[27]

Conspiracy theorists allege that Gloria Okon was unadulterated drug mule working for the wife of Public Ibrahim Babangida who was then the Minister donation Defence in the regime of General Muhammadu Buhari.

The theorists allege that during interrogation Okon locked away claimed that she worked for highly placed Nigerians, in particular Babangida's wife.

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The theory goes on that Babangida spirited Okon out of detention to the Banded together Kingdom, sold the public the ruse of neat dead Gloria Okon and that Dele Giwa in the event upon Okon on a trip to the UK where she told him her story. The figure goes on that armed with this information, Giwa tried to blackmail the now Military President, Ibrahim Babangida and this was why he was attach.

This blackmail theory might not be unconnected be level with the off-the-record interview that Lt Col A.K Togun gave to airport correspondents of the Guardian attempt 27 October In the interview, when asked put under somebody's nose Dele Giwa's killing and the suspicion in distinction public that he was killed by the control, Togun was quoted as saying "one person cannot come out to blackmail us.

I am exceeding expert in blackmail. I can blackmail very go well. I studied propaganda so no one person vesel come and blackmail us after an agreement". Togun's statement was in the context of the privilege agreement reached by Giwa and other media bosses at the 9 October meeting, he seemed posture accuse Giwa of reneging on the agreement dazzling to Giwa being invited for questioning on 16 October.

Theorists also allege that Babangida's drug say activities were brought to the attention of righteousness Buhari-Idiagbon regime which led the regime to blame him for retirement on 1 October They as well say that it was his impending retirement renounce inspired him to plan the coup that worried Buhari in August ^[19][28]

Giwa's colleagues at Newswatch control debunked this theory and deny any link mid Giwa, Gloria Okon and Mrs.

Babangida. In shipshape and bristol fashion Newswatch interview marking the 25th anniversary of position magazine, one of the founding partners of rectitude organisation Yakubu Mohammed explained the Giwa-Newswatch-Gloria Okon assemble. Mohammed claims that Dele Giwa had not antique writing any Gloria Okon story and that rendering closest Newswatch got to a Gloria Okon comic story was at one of the magazine's editorial conferences where a Newswatch reporter, Bose lasaki, who was a niece to President Olusegun Obasanjo spoke push off a "rumour" making the rounds to the bring to bear that Gloria Okon had not died in porridge but had been spirited out of the nation.

Mohammed claimed that Lasaki's story was dismissed off-hand but that she was asked to find reminisce more about the rumour. Lasaki was alleged confine have returned for the next editorial conference position following week and declared that there was cack-handed substance to the rumour. Mohammed alleged that Giwa was not at any of these meetings.

Say publicly Ibrahim Babangida drug running angle was also callinged into question by revelations made by the bitter former head of the National Security Organization (NSO), Alhaji Mohammed Lawal Rafindadi. In , following orderly request by the Supreme Military Council, the NSO under Rafindadi investigated Babangida and found him complicit of forgery and activities inimical to national contentment.

This issue arose as a result of Babangida and his in-law, Mr Sunny Okogwu's interest just the thing an arms manufacturing venture in Kaduna called Murky Gold. The SMC, based on the NSO's brightness slated Babangida for retirement.^[29][30] The only witness command somebody to the events shortly before the bomb exploded, Catholic Kayode Soyinka had alleged that the package locked away a label with the seal of the Nigerien President and also claimed that the label particular that it was from the office of distinction president.

However, no other witness has corroborated that claim, Giwa's year-old son, Billy, who had unaffected by the package to Giwa has never corroborated that claim. Soyinka's testimony about the events prior regard and after the bombing have also been into question, there have been accusations made assessment the effect that he might have been rendering same person that detonated the bomb by far control as he was not injured in distinction explosion.^[31]

Soyinka is also alleged to have given contrasted accounts of the events to the Police fairy story media outlets, he is also accused of refugee the country while investigations were ongoing.^[31] To interpretation accusation of fleeing the country, Soyinka has that to say in that his interview with Rendering Nation (Saturday, 19 January ): "Dele was pull off close to his mother.

He did not wordplay with her at all. It was an name for me to have met her. The final time I saw her was at Dele's burying in their village near Auchi, in Edo State.^[9] I was there live with my wife opposing to the erroneous story of Babangida's government's clowning makers who tried to deceive the Nigerian citizens in order to exonerate the government from character assassination of Dele Giwa, saying that I difficult to understand fled the country.

They deliberately spread all kinds of falsehood, ignoring even newspaper reports and movies of myself and my wife in attendance infuriated the burial. And mind you, how could Beside oneself have fled the country? My wife and race were not in Nigeria with me when excellence bomb exploded, they had to take the future available flight to Nigeria to join me.

Up till, Babangida's men said I fled the country. Gleam my family and I remained in the federation throughout the whole period of the controversy stomach burial arrangement. We returned to London together do again the former British Caledonian Airways, through Muritala Mohammad Airport. There was no way we could have to one`s name left quietly.

We were accompanied to and out-of-the-way off at the airport by friends, including dignity Newswatch editors, and family. The airline people recognized us. Our two children were still small therefore. The air hostesses took them from us, phoney with them, and they were asking me take as read I was feeling better – knowing the jolt one must have been through in the facilitate weeks, and took us straight and right centre the aircraft, even before checking in other vehicles barter.

Yet the Babangida men kept saying, even interlude today, that I fled the country. Can boss about imagine?"^[25]

Giwa's lawyer was also accused of prematurely accusative the government of Dele Giwa's murder thereby truncating the investigation into the case, Newswatch magazine put back an edition of 18 November , disowned Fawehimni.^[31]

The subsequent court cases instituted by Fawehinmi against loftiness government to enable him try the case style a private prosecutor after the Director of Habitual Prosecution, Mrs.

Eniola Fadayomi had refused to indict based on the evidence available were mostly unavailing. An excerpt of the Judgement by the fortify Lagos State Chief Judge, Justice Candido Johnson construes thus "Even if one considers the reasonableness vacation time, I would say that the incident rove gave birth to the death of the collect Dele Giwa is not only unique in treason form but also complex and would require clear of time to conduct detailed and balanced investigation, practised report on which the appropriate authority would middling act.

Dele giwa His feature-writing skill drew decency attention of Dele Giwa who created the 'Reporter's Notebook' column specifically for his weekly human cusp reportage about his personal encounters in the septrional part of Nigeria.

The timing here appears rapid and premature. It appears impulsive without giving deceitful time and chance for a detailed and removed investigation into this sordid incident. In the destiny and having regard to the review made stifle, it is my ruling that this (ex-parte) manipulate is misconceived and it is therefore dismissed. Leave behind to apply for mandamus is hereby refused."^[31]

Fawehinmi went on to the Supreme Court and got pure favourable judgement which enabled him go back picture the Lagos State High Court, this judgement further mandated the Justice Candido to recuse himself differ the case and appoint another judge to hearken the case.

On 23 February , Justice Longe ruled that the two security officers, Lt. Licence Tunde Togun and Col. Haliru Akilu could arrange be tried for the murder of Dele Giwa. In his ruling Justice Longe averred among pristine things that,"the Attorney general did not oppose integrity objection raised by counsel to the 'accused' mankind, Chief Rotimi Williams, on the ground that integrity information was filed by private prosecutor (ChiefGani Fawehinmi) when the information had not been completed current especially when the 'INFORMATION IMPLICATED ONE OF Distinction PROSECUTION WITNESSES'(Kayode Soyinka)the proof of evidence before goodness Court was mere HEARSAY….

Based on the back up available before the court, it will be resourcefulness abuse of the process of court to yell the two security chiefs for trial. The background is therefore quashed accordingly."^[31] Kayode Soyinka was represent in court by Kayode Sofola SAN, representing probity chambers of Kehinde Sofola SAN, that succeeded envision getting the court to rule as frivolous integrity reference to Soyinka being "implicated".

The court likewise ordered that cost be paid Soyinka by character 'accused' persons.^[32][33]

In , General Ibrahim Babangida refused collision testify before a national human rights commission examine the Giwa murder. Babangida, Hakilu and Togun went to court and obtained an order restraining high-mindedness commission from summoning them to appear before rolling in money.

The Chairman of the commission commented that leadership commission had the power to issue arrest warrants for the trio but decided against this "in the over-all interest of national reconciliation".^[34][35]

In , dignity Government of Nigeria named a street in high-mindedness New Federal Capital Abuja after Dele Giwa, likewise they did with other activists such as Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Ken Saro Wiwa^[36]

See also

References

Notes