By Chinwendu Agoha (Media & Governance Correspondent)
The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has called on relevant authorities to revisit the unresolved assassination of renowned journalist, Dele Giwa, insisting that the passage of 40 years must not extinguish the quest for justice.
Giwa, a co-founder of Newswatch magazine and one of Nigeria’s most influential journalists, was killed by a parcel bomb delivered to his home on October 19, 1986. Four decades after the incident, his killers have not been brought to justice.
In a statement on Monday by its President, Eze Anaba and General Secretary, Onuoha Ukeh, to mark 40 years anniversary of Giwa's murder, the Guild described the unresolved murder as a painful test of Nigeria’s commitment to press freedom, public accountability and the rule of law.
The NGE said the country could not afford to allow the case to disappear into history.
“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,” it said.
The Guild urged the appropriate authorities to examine credible evidence that might still be available, preserve relevant records and pursue every lawful avenue towards establishing the truth about Giwa’s death.
The media professional body, however, cautioned against trial by media, stressing that it was not seeking the condemnation of anyone without evidence but demanding a credible investigation into a grave crime against a journalist and press freedom.
“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,” the Guild said.
The NGE described Giwa as a journalist of uncommon audacity, intellectual rigour and literary elegance, whose work demonstrated that Nigerian journalism could be fearless in interrogating power while maintaining high standards of professional excellence.
According to the Guild, Giwa understood that journalism was neither a public relations department for those in authority nor an instrument for flattering the powerful, but a public trust.
It said the late journalist’s assassination was not merely the killing of an individual but an attack on the freedom to ask questions, expose wrongdoing and hold those in authority accountable.
The NGE also expressed concern about the implications of the unresolved murder for journalists investigating corruption, probing abuses of power or exposing the activities of influential interests.
It said the failure to bring the perpetrators to justice sent a troubling message to media practitioners and underscored the need for stronger protection of journalists and effective investigations whenever crimes were committed against them.
The NGE commended NEWSWATCH Plus Limited and its head, Ray Ekpu, the only surviving member of the original Newswatch quartet, for preserving Giwa’s legacy through the publication.
It said the publication would ensure that Giwa’s voice and contribution to journalism continued to inspire generations of media practitioners.
Beyond remembering Giwa, the Guild challenged contemporary journalists and editors to reflect on the state of the profession, particularly its independence from political and commercial interests.
The NGE said the quest for justice for Giwa demanded more than provocative headlines or dramatic public appearances, but requires verification, courage, independence, fairness and a commitment to truth.
“Courage without accuracy can become recklessness; independence without ethics can become irresponsibility,” the Guild said, adding that journalism worth defending must be both fearless and scrupulous, independent and accountable.
The NGE urged editors to protect newsroom integrity, publishers to resist intimidation and journalists to uphold professional discipline, especially amid growing disinformation, political propaganda, economic pressures and the weaponisation of social media.
It also called on public authorities to tolerate scrutiny and security agencies to protect media practitioners from threats and attacks, stressing that press freedom required more than constitutional guarantees, insisting that it must be supported by responsible journalism, independent media institutions and the effective enforcement of laws.
The Guild further warned against reducing Giwa’s memory to annual commemorations without concrete efforts to address the circumstances of his death.
“Remembrance without action risks becoming an elaborate way of accommodating injustice,” the Guild said.
The elite media group called for Giwa’s professional ideals to be taught in journalism schools, discussed in newsrooms and preserved in the national historical record, while urging younger journalists to appreciate the sacrifices made by earlier generations in defending press freedom.
It said the defence of press freedom was not the exclusive responsibility of journalists but a public cause, because attacks on journalists also threatened citizens’ right to reliable information.
The Guild urged successive governments to recognise that the responsibility to investigate serious crimes did not expire with the passage of time or changes in political leadership.
It said Giwa’s legacy should serve both as a monument to professional courage and a reminder that crimes against journalists must not become permanent symbols of impunity.
Accordingto the Guild, "a parcel bomb may have ended Dele Giwa’s life, but it could not extinguish the ideals he represented.
“Dele Giwa is gone, but the questions his murder left behind remain alive. The man was silenced; the search for justice must not be.”
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THE FULL TEXT OF PRESS STATEMENT
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
October 19, 2026. NNL.
