Former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida (retd.), has refuted allegations linking him to the 1986 assassination of veteran journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch, Dele Giwa.
Giwa, known for his outspoken criticism of Babangida’s military regime, was killed on October 19, 1986, when a parcel bomb was delivered to his Lagos residence.
Just two days before the attack, a senior official from the Directorate of Military Intelligence accused Giwa of illegally importing weapons to stage a socialist revolution in Nigeria. Alarmed by the claims, Giwa contacted his lawyer, the renowned human rights activist Gani Fawehinmi.
The following day, Colonel Halilu Akilu, a top security official, reportedly called Giwa to reassure him that the matter had been resolved and was merely a misunderstanding. However, hours later, a parcel arrived at Giwa’s home. His son, Billy, handed it to him as he sat at the dining table with Newswatch’s London correspondent, Kayode Soyinka. The package, bearing the official seal of the Presidency, was marked “To be opened by addressee only.” Moments after opening it, Giwa was killed in an explosion.
For decades, speculation has surrounded Babangida’s possible involvement in the killing, an allegation he firmly dismissed in his newly released autobiography, A Journey in Service, launched in Abuja on Thursday.
“The media hysteria surrounding Giwa’s murder did not help the investigation,” Babangida wrote. “The Nigerian press, as always, took an adversarial stance against the government, assuming guilt before any evidence was presented. The case remains unsolved, like many mysterious murders, but I still hope the truth will be uncovered—whether in my lifetime or beyond.”
The book launch, which also marked the unveiling of the Babangida Presidential Library, drew high-profile dignitaries, including President Bola Tinubu, former presidents, military leaders, and top business figures such as Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
Among the attendees were former Vice Presidents Atiku Abubakar, Namadi Sambo, and Yemi Osinbajo, as well as Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and NNPP’s Rabiu Kwankwaso. The keynote address was delivered by former Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, alongside former Sierra Leonean President Ernest Koroma.
Governors, industrialists, traditional rulers, and key government officials also graced the occasion, underscoring the significance of Babangida’s legacy and the lingering mystery of Dele Giwa’s assassination.
