Babangida in his rehabilitation book denies killing Giwa with a parcel bomb 38 years ago
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Former Military President Ibrahim Babangida has denied involvement in the killing of former Newswatch Editor-in-Chief Dele Giwa who was assassinated through a parcel bomb in his home in Ikeja, Lagos on 19 October 1986.
Dismissing the longtime allegation that he was involved in Giwa’s death, Babangida, in his autobiography A Journey in Service presented in Abuja on Thursday, said he expects that one day, the truth would be uncovered.
“The hysteria of the media did not help the investigation of the Giwa murder,” he wrote.
“As is typical of the Nigerian media, the direction was marked by an adversarial attitude towards the government, which had remained the hallmark of the Nigerian media from its colonial heyday.
“It was an attitude of ‘we versus the government’ that has remained today. It is a situation in which the government is adjudged guilty even before the evidence in a case is adduced.
“When the Obasanjo civilian administration reopened the Giwa case at the Oputa Panel on Human and Civil Rights, I expected that the police and lawyers would come forward with new evidence as to their findings on the Giwa murder over the years.
“Nothing of such happened. The Giwa, like all mysterious murders, has remained unsolved after so many years. I keep hoping it will be uncovered in our lifetime or after us. More often than not, mysterious crimes are solved long after their commission.”
However, it is public knowledge that two days before Giwa’s assassination, a senior official of the Directorate of Military Intelligence accused him of illegally importing and stockpiling arms and ammunition to stage a socialist revolution in Nigeria.
Upon hearing of the allegation, Giwa briefed his lawyer and human rights activist Gani Fawehinmi (who later died in 2009).
A day after the allegation was made, Babangida’s security chief, then-Colonel Halilu Akilu, called to reassure Giwa that the accusation resulted from a misunderstanding, the matter had been cleared, and Giwa should think nothing of it.
A few hours later, an emissary arrived at Giwa’s residence with a parcel. Giwas’s son, Billy, collected it and handed it to his father, who was seated at the dining table in company of Kayode Soyinka, London correspondent of Newswatch, who was visiting from the UK.
The envelope bore the seal of the Presidency and was marked “To be opened by addressee only.” Giwa opened it and a bomb in it went off and killed him.
The public presentation of A Journey in Service also witnessed the launch of Babangida’s presidential library, per The PUNCH.
It was attended by President Bola Tinubu, who led former Presidents, former military leaders, as well as captains of industry, including Aliko Dangote.
Also in attendance were former Vice Presidents Atiku Abubakar, Namadi Sambo, and Yemi Osinbajo; Labour Party (LP) member Peter Obi and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) member Rabiu Kwankwaso.
The keynote speaker was former Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo at the event where former Sierra Leonean President Ernest Koroma was also present.
Read also:
