THE Federal High Court Abuja has ordered the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, to re-open the investigation into the murder of renowned journalist Dele Giwa.
Giwa, one of the founders of the defunct Newswatch Magazine, was murdered on October 19, 1986, in his Lagos office via a letter bomb.
Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, in his ruling, stated that the AGF had a duty to bring charges against those who murder journalists in the nation.
In addition to Giwa, the court mandated that the AGF look into cases of other journalists killed while performing their constitutional duty to bring perpetrators to book.
In accordance with Articles Four and Nine of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and Sections 33 and 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, Ekwo further directed the Federal Government to provide sufficient security and safety for the lives of journalists in the country.
The judge gave the orders while ruling in a case brought by the Incorporated Trustees of Media Rights Agenda (MRA).
The group filed a lawsuit against the AGF to uphold media practitioners’ fundamental rights to safety, as enunciated by the African Charter on Human Rights and the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
According to the MRA, the AGF is purportedly doing little to stop security agents from harassing journalists.
Sumonu Oladele “Baines” Giwa (popularly known as Dele Giwa) was born on March 16 1947 in Ile-Ife, Osun State.
He had his higher education in the United States at Brooklyn College in 1977 and later enrolled for a graduate programme at Fordham University.
Before returning to Nigeria from America, he worked as a News Assistant with the New York Times. He honed his craft at the defunct National Concord and Daily Times newspapers.
Following his exit from the National Concord Newspaper, alongside Ray Ekpu, Yakubu Mohammed and Dan Agbese, Giwa co-founded the Newswatch and introduced whistleblowing journalism.
He died at the age of 39 as a result of injuries he sustained via a letter bomb he received on October 19 1986, in his home at 25 Talabi Street, Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja, Lagos State.
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