Forty years ago, on October 19, 1986, Dele Giwa, one of Nigeria’s most brilliant, courageous and influential journalists, was murdered by a parcel bomb delivered to his home. Four decades later, his killers have not been brought to justice. The hands that prepared the deadly package remain unidentified in the eyes of the law, and the circumstances surrounding his assassination continue to haunt Nigeria’s conscience.
Forty years is a long time to wait for justice. It is an unconscionably long time for a nation that claims to uphold the rule of law.
The unveiling of a book, Dele Giwa’s Granite Journalism, today is, therefore, much more than an ordinary event. It is an act of remembrance, a celebration of professional courage and, above all, an indictment of a system that has failed to provide a conclusive reckoning for one of the most shocking attacks on press freedom in Nigeria’s history.
We salute the NEWSWATCH Plus Limited under the headship of the only surviving member of the Newswatch quartet, Mr. Ray Ekpu whose tenacity has helped preserve the memory of Dele Giwa and his enduring contribution to journalism.
By documenting his writings for Daily Times, Sunday Concord and Newswatch magazine in addition to featuring tributes from prominent journalists, particularly Giwa’s friends and contemporaries, this book ensures that the man whose voice was silenced by violence will continue to speak to generations yet unborn.
Dele Giwa was no ordinary journalist. He was a journalist of uncommon audacity, intellectual rigour and literary elegance. His journalism was granite-like: firm in conviction, uncompromising in its pursuit of truth and resistant to the pressures of power. He understood that journalism is not a public relations department for those in authority, nor is it a convenient instrument for flattering the powerful. It is a public trust.
He helped demonstrate that Nigerian journalism could be intellectually sophisticated, fearless in its interrogation of power and compelling in its presentation of facts. Through his work, he challenged the culture of timid reporting and reinforced the proposition that public office must never become a sanctuary from scrutiny.
His assassination was not merely the murder of an individual. It was an assault on the freedom to ask questions, expose wrongdoing and hold power accountable. It was an attack on the fundamental right of citizens to know what is being done in their name.
And yet, the most disturbing aspect of this tragedy is not only that Dele Giwa was killed. It is that, 40 years later, the public has not seen a definitive judicial resolution identifying and bringing his murderers to justice.
What does it say about our country that a journalist can be killed in such a brazen manner and the crime remains unresolved for four decades?
What message does this send to the young reporter investigating corruption, the editor probing abuse of power or the journalist exposing the activities of dangerous interests?
Does the passage of time diminish the seriousness of murder? Does the death of witnesses, the fading of public attention or the changing of governments extinguish the state’s obligation to pursue justice?
Our answer must be an emphatic no.
We at the NGE believe that the unresolved assassination of Dele Giwa remains a painful test of Nigeria’s commitment to press freedom, public accountability and the rule of law. Governments may change, political actors may come and go, and national priorities may shift. But justice cannot be subjected to the convenience of political transitions.
We therefore renew our call for the appropriate authorities to revisit the case, examine whatever credible evidence remains available, preserve relevant records and pursue every lawful avenue that could advance the search for truth. This must be done professionally, impartially and without prejudice to the rights of any individual.
We are not calling for trial by media. We are not asking anyone to be condemned without evidence. We are demanding that a grave crime against a Nigerian citizen, a distinguished journalist and the freedom of the press should not remain an enduring symbol of impunity.
An unresolved murder is not a closed chapter. It is an open wound in the nation’s conscience.
The significance of today extends beyond the circumstances of Dele Giwa’s death. It invites us to examine the state of journalism today.
Are we still prepared to speak truth to power? Are we sufficiently independent of political and commercial interests? Are we willing to investigate uncomfortable facts, challenge official narratives and defend the public interest even when the consequences are unpleasant?
Granite journalism demands more than a dramatic headline or a provocative television appearance. It requires verification, courage, independence, fairness and a willingness to stand by the truth. It requires editors who will protect the integrity of their newsrooms, publishers who will resist intimidation and journalists who understand that professional credibility is earned through discipline, not bravado.
In an era of disinformation, political propaganda, economic pressures and the weaponisation of social media, Dele Giwa’s example remains instructive. Courage without accuracy can become recklessness; independence without ethics can become irresponsibility. The journalism worth defending is both fearless and scrupulous, both independent and accountable.
The NGE recognises that press freedom is not secured merely by constitutional provisions or declarations of commitment. It must be defended through the conduct of journalists, the independence of media institutions, the restraint of public authorities and the effective enforcement of laws protecting citizens and the press.
Journalists must do their work responsibly. Those in power must tolerate scrutiny. Security agencies must protect media practitioners from threats and attacks. And where crimes are committed against journalists, investigations must be thorough, transparent within the limits of due process, and capable of producing credible outcomes.
We must also remember that the defence of press freedom is not the exclusive responsibility of journalists. It is a public cause. When a journalist is threatened for exposing wrongdoing, the public’s right to know is threatened. When a journalist is attacked with impunity, every citizen who depends on independent information becomes more vulnerable.
This is why the memory of Dele Giwa must not be reduced to an annual ritual of speeches, tributes and wreath-laying. Remembrance without action risks becoming an elaborate way of accommodating injustice.
We must teach his professional ideals in journalism schools, discuss his work in newsrooms, preserve the historical record of his assassination and insist that the search for justice remains a legitimate public concern.
The younger generation must understand that the freedoms they enjoy today were strengthened by journalists who were willing to challenge authority when doing so carried grave personal risks. They must also understand that those freedoms can be eroded when intimidation becomes normalised and impunity is allowed to flourish.
Forty years after that parcel bomb exploded, the question remains: who killed Dele Giwa, and why has justice remained elusive?
Those questions deserve more than speculation, political controversy or official silence. They deserve a serious, evidence-based pursuit of the truth.
For the Nigerian Guild of Editors, the message is unequivocal: we honour Dele Giwa not simply by celebrating his life, but by defending the principles for which he stood. We honour him by protecting journalists who investigate the powerful, insisting on accountability when media practitioners are attacked and refusing to accept impunity as an inevitable feature of our national life.
A parcel bomb may have ended Dele Giwa’s life, but it could not extinguish the ideals he represented. His journalism survives in every reporter who refuses to be intimidated, every editor who insists on publishing verified facts and every citizen who demands accountability from those entrusted with public power.
Dele Giwa is gone, but the questions his murder left behind remain alive. The man was silenced; the search for justice must not be.
May Dele Giwa’s Granite Journalism inspire a new generation of courageous, ethical and independent journalists, deepen public appreciation of press freedom and renew the national determination to ensure that crimes against journalists do not become permanent monuments to impunity.
Let today remind us that granite journalism is not merely a style of writing. It is a professional conviction: that truth matters, that power must be accountable and that no society can claim to be truly free while those who speak for the public live in fear.
And let October 19, 2026, 40 years after Dele Giwa’s assassination, be remembered not only as another anniversary of an unfinished tragedy, but as a renewed call for truth, justice and the protection of press freedom in Nigeria.
Signed:
Eze Anaba
President
Onuoha Ukeh
General Secretary
19 October 2026
