Fearless Journalist • Investigative Pioneer • Martyr of Press Freedom in Nigeria

Fearless Journalist • Investigative Pioneer • Martyr of Press Freedom in Nigeria

📰 Dele Giwa

Fearless Journalist • Investigative Pioneer • Martyr of Press Freedom in Nigeria

🇳🇬 Sumonu Oladele “Dele” Giwa remains one of the most important figures in Nigerian media history — a journalist whose commitment to truth redefined investigative reporting in Africa.

🧾 Basic Profile

Full Name: Sumonu Oladele Giwa
Born: March 16, 1947
Place of Birth: Ile-Ife, Western Region (now Osun State), Nigeria
Ded: October 19, 1986 Age at Deth: 39
Profession: Journalist, Editor, Publisher

🎓 Education

Dele Giwa was educated in Nigeria before proceeding to the United States, where he earned a degree in English from Brooklyn College, City University of New York.

📰 A Pioneer of Investigative Journalism

Giwa built a distinguished career in Nigerian journalism, working with leading media organizations including:

Daily Times of Nigeria

Sunday Concord

In 1984, he co-founded Newswatch Magazine alongside Ray Ekpu, Dan Agbese, and Yakubu Mohammed.

Newswatch quickly became Nigeria’s most influential news magazine, widely respected for its investigative reporting on:

Government accountability

Military rule

Human rights

National politics

At a time when press freedom was severely restricted, Newswatch stood out for its professionalism and courage,

💣 The Assassination

On October 19, 1986, at his home in Ikeja, Lagos, Dele Giwa received a parcel delivered to him. When he opened it, the package exploded, kpaing him instantly.

This tragic event marked Africa’s first known letter-bomb assassination of a journalist.

🕵️ Official Investigations

Before his death, Giwa had been invited and questioned by Nigeria’s State Security Service (SSS) regarding stories being prepared by Newswatch.

At the time, Nigeria was governed by a military administration under General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida.

His death triggered:

National and international outrage

Multiple investigations

A coroner’s inquest

Court cases against the Nigerian government

Despite these efforts, no individual has ever been charged or convicted for the crime.

🕊️ Legacy

Dele Giwa is remembered as:

A symbol of press freedom

A defender of truth and accountability

One of Africa’s most courageous journalists

His assassination remains one of the most painful and unresolved chapters in Nigeria’s democratic and media history.

🖋️ Enduring Truth

“The duty of the press is to publish news that those in power do not want published.”

Dele Giwa lived by this principle — and paid the ultimate price for it.