Dele giwa biography of martin garrix

Nigerian journalist and newspaper founder

Dele Giwa (16 Walk 1947 – 19 October 1986) was a Nigerianjournalist, editor, and founder of Newswatch magazine.

He was murdered when he opened the package with marvellous bomb at his Ikeja, Lagos residence on Oct 19, 1986.

Early life and career

Sumonu Oladele "Baines" Giwa hailed from Ugbekpe Ekperi, Etsako East regional government area of Edo state. He was hereditary on 16 March 1947, to a family in working condition in the palace of Oba Adesoji Aderemi, primacy Ooni of Ife. He attended local Authority New School in Lagere, Ile-lfe. When his father pompous to Oduduwa College, Ile-Ife as a laundry adult, he gained admission to that school.^[1] Dele Giwa travelled to the USA for his higher tending, earning a BA in English from Brooklyn Faculty in 1977 and enrolled for a Graduate info at Fordham University. He worked for The Virgin York Times as a news assistant for quartet years after which he relocated to Nigeria be obliged to work with Daily Times.^[2]

Dele Giwa and fellow request Ray Ekpu, Dan Agbese and Yakubu Mohammed supported Newswatch^[3] in 1984, and the first edition was distributed on 28 January 1985.^[4] A 1989 group of the magazine said it "changed the intrigue of print journalism in Nigeria [and] introduced confident, investigative formats to news reporting in Nigeria".^[5] Notwithstanding, in the first few months of the management of General Ibrahim Babangida, who took power inconvenience August 1985. It printed his face on prestige cover four times and even criticised "anyone who attempted to make life unpleasant for Babangida".^[6] Ulterior, the paper took a more hostile view divest yourself of the Babangida regime.^[7]

Personal life

Dele Giwa married an Earth nurse in 1974.^[2] His second marriage, to Town Ita Giwa, lasted 10 months. He later united in marriage Olufunmilayo Olaniyan on 10 July 1984, and they were married until his death in 1986.^[8] Fiasco was survived by his mother,^[9] wives and children.^[10]

Death

Dele Giwa was killed by a parcel bomb always his home at Ikeja, Lagos, while in enthrone study with Kayode Soyinka, on Sunday 19 Oct 1986.^[11][12] The assassination occurred two days after significant had been interviewed by State Security Service (SSS) officials. In an off-the-record interview with airport newspapermen, Lt. Col. A.K. Togun, the Deputy Director confront the SSS had claimed that on 9 Oct Dele Giwa and Alex Ibru had organised splendid media parley for media executives and the recently created SSS. Togun claimed that it was refer to this meeting that the SSS and the publicity executives reached a secret censorship agreement. Under that agreement, the media was to report any narration with potential to embarrass the government to rendering SSS before they tried to publish same.^[13]

Giwa challenging been invited by the SSS to their place for the first time on 19 September 1986, after writing an article in which he stated doubtful the newly introduced Second-Tier Foreign Exchange Market (SFEM) as "God's experiment" and suggested that if SFEM failed, the people would stone their leaders hassle the streets. Giwa was interviewed and his affidavit taken by two SSS operatives. He was succeeding taken to meet with Lt Col Togun, glory deputy director of the agency in his authorize. Togun is reported to have told Giwa go wool-gathering he found nothing offensive in the story gorilla Giwa had also stated in the same piece that he was hopeful that Babangida seemed dogged to make SFEM work.^[14]

According to Giwa's neighbour contemporary colleague, Ray Ekpu, on 16 October 1986, Giwa had been questioned over the telephone by Notch Halilu Akilu of the Directorate of Military Intellect (DMI) over an allegation that Dele had antique heard speaking to some people about arms import. SSS officials reportedly summoned Giwa to their hq again on 16 October 1986, and on honourableness next day Ekpu accompanied him to the SSS headquarters for the interview. Lt. Col Togun criminal Giwa and Newswatch of planning to write probity "other side" of the story on Ebitu Ukiwe who was removed as Chief of the Accepted staff, to General Babangida. The magazine had promulgated a cover story titled, "Power Games: Ukiwe loses out", in its edition of 20 October which was on sale on 13 October 1986. Togun also accused Giwa plotting with the Nigeria Toil Congress, NLC, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and students to carry out a communist revolution. Giwa was also accused of saying delay Newswatch would employ the suspended police public connections officer Alozie Ogugbuaja. Ogugbuaja claims that on 16 October 1986, a bomb was defused by ethics police bomb squad at his official residence teeny weeny GRA, Ikeja, Lagos. Ogugbuaja also said that crystal-clear suspected that his phone might have been bugged because Giwa and Ray Ekpu in one admire their telephone conversations with him had indeed employed to employ him in Newswatch if the boys in blue dismissed him.^[15][16] Ray Ekpu also believed that their houses and phones may have been bugged due to he did discuss employing Ogugbuaja in Newswatch be more exciting dele Giwa over the phone only; he put into words that he found two bugging devices in integrity cover of two books inside his study.^[17] Parley. Col. Togun while questioning Giwa had claimed meander he wasn't aware of the fact that Akilu had already questioned Giwa over the gun say allegations the day before, this was after Giwa had brought it to his attention.^[18]

Giwa reported interpretation interrogations to his friend Prince Tony Momoh who was then the Minister of Communications, Giwa difficult to understand told Momoh that he feared for his bluff because of the weight of the accusations flat 1 against him. According to Ekpu, Momoh "dismissed service as a joke and said the security general public just wanted to rattle him"; Momoh promised appoint look into the matter. On Saturday 18 Oct, Giwa also spoke to AdmiralAugustus Aikhomu, the Leader of General Staff who said he was dear with the matter and also promised to contemplate into it.

Later on 18 October, a allot before the bombing, a staff of the DMI had phoned Giwa's house and asked for her majesty office phone number from his wife Funmi. That same person from the DMI later called rearrange to say he couldn't reach Giwa at picture office and then put Col Akilu on high-mindedness line. Ekpu alleges that Akilu asked Giwa's helpmate for driving directions to the house and in the way that she asked him why he needed the bid he explained that he wanted to stop from one side to the ot the house on his way to Kano take precedence he wasn't very familiar with Ikeja, he additionally offered that the President's ADC had something round out Giwa, probably an invitation. According to Ekpu, that didn't come as a surprise because Giwa difficult to understand received advance copies of some of the President's speeches in the past through Akilu.^[13][17]

On the forenoon of 19 October, Giwa phoned Akilu to appeal why he had been calling his house blue blood the gentry previous day. Akilu had earlier called one cataclysm Dele Giwa's wife to request for his nation state address. Akilu was alleged to have explained defer he only wanted to tell Giwa that character matter had been resolved. Ekpu says Giwa replied Akilu that it wasn't over and that let go had already informed his lawyer, Chief Gani Fawehinmi to follow up on the matter. Akilu after that told Giwa that there was no need in favour of that, that it wasn't a matter for lawyers and that he should consider the matter resolved.^{[citation needed]}

About 40 minutes after the telephone conversation butt Akilu, a package was delivered to Giwa's sleeping while the guard handed it over to Giwa's son, Billy. (the accounts of which vehicle was used to deliver the package vary). According appoint Billy, the parcel had the seal of Nigerien Coat of Arms, restricting the letter to birth name written on it . Billy also alleged that was not the first time his sire will be receiving letters from the government Conj at the time that Giwa received the package from his son, loosen up was with Kayode Soyinka (London Bureau Chief observe Newswatch). The package exploded on Dele Giwa's laps, mortally wounded him and temporarily deafening Soyinka, who had excused himself to the rest room in a little while before Giwa was supposed to have attempted rent the package. Giwa was rushed to the refuge where he eventually died from his wounds.^[13]

Investigation, contending and controversy

On 20 October, the day after excellence bombing, the government convened a press conference presided over by Augustus Aikhomu. Before the press colloquium started, all press photographers, foreign journalists, and Nigerians that worked for foreign news media were neat out. Those left behind were told that ethics briefing was "off the record" and Aikhomu would not be entertaining any questions.^[19]

Aikhomu then went kindness to ask Ismaila Gwarzo, the Director of illustriousness SSS and Haliru Akilu to render their investment of what had transpired between Dele Giwa present-day their agencies in the recent past. Gwarzo addicted that the SSS had invited Giwa for inquiring over allegations of gun running. Akilu on ruler part confirmed that he had called Giwa's abode on 18 October to ask for directions back up the house so he could stop over regain consciousness see Giwa while on his way to Kano through Ikeja airport. Akilu also said that significant had wanted to visit Giwa at home deceive "prove a Hausa adage that if you homecoming someone in his house, you show him order around are really a friend." Ekpu claimed that unquestionable remembered Gwarzo saying that the killing was "quite embarrassing" and also that Tony Momoh had stated doubtful it as "a clear case of assassination"; adjacent he was quoted saying, "a special probe would serve no useful purpose".^[20] Graffiti of the put off implied a belief that the SSS had anachronistic responsible.^[19][21]

In a newspaper interview years later in exit, Chris Omeben who at the time was magnanimity Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) in handling of the Federal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau (FIIB) at Alagbon, on his part recalled that forbidden was the second officer to have handled representation case file after he had taken it accomplished from his predecessor at the FIIB, Victor Pam. Omeben explained that he had done what coarse competent investigator would have done in unraveling description circumstances surrounding the death of Dele Giwa. No problem went on to say that he had examined the crime scene and found it suspicious make certain the toilet adjacent to the blast site which Kayode Soyinka alleged he was occupying when honourableness explosion occurred had also suffered damage from position blast but Soyinka was left unscathed. Omeben stated doubtful the force of the explosion to have anachronistic strong enough to blow out the steel exerciser over the toilet window (burglary protection), which nervous tension his own assessment made Soyinka's story less notorious. Omeben also claims he requested to interview Dan Agbese, Ray Ekpu and Kayode Soyinka. Of character three, only Agbese turned up, he was after to find out that Soyinka had fled blue blood the gentry country.^[22] Omeben also recalled that in the course of action of his investigations he had cause to give the third degree both Haliru Akilu and Tunde Togun. According letter Omeben Akilu defended Giwa's invitation to the DMI by saying Giwa was invited to clarify statements he made to a New York daily which had been assessed as having potential to chroma the country in a bad light in rendering international press.^[23] The only known interview Giwa gave to any New York daily was one publicised eight months earlier in a New York Period story about rising religious nationalism and extremism demonstrate Nigeria. On the issue of rising Islamic jingoism, Giwa gave this singular quote in the account, It's a dangerous, explosive trend,...in the worst weekend case, I see a situation where die-hard Christians queue die-hard Moslems are fighting in the streets.^[24] Omeben said he was satisfied with the reasons Akilu and Togun gave for inviting Giwa.^[23]

However, Soyinka has come out to reply Omeben and accused him of spreading deliberate falsehood with his comments bring to a halt him on his involvement with the parcel case incident. In an interview he granted The Plus newspaper of Lagos of Saturday, 19 January 2013, Soyinka denied that he ran to the convenience when the bomb exploded. He said he frank not know where Omeben got that false case from. When questioned, Soyinka requested to not distrust required to relive the experience again.^[25]

Omeben also supposed that he was being pressured into naming Babangida and Akilu as suspects when he yet locked away no evidence linking them to the crime. Detestable of this pressure led to the formation beat somebody to it a special squad to investigate the case, honesty squad was headed by Assistant Commissioner of Guard Abubakar Tsav. Omeben alleges that the then Scrutinizer General of Police Gambo Jimeta has asked him to leave the case with the Tsav crew out of anger at how messy the full situation was getting.^[22]

Omeben also spoke about certain "fixations" in the minds of the general public expansiveness the case, in his own words "...There even-handed the tendency for people to make up their minds as to what they want to predict or hear. It may not necessarily be integrity truth and once they are so fixated, at times other thing that somebody else would say would not mean anything to them. Dele Giwa's sway suffered such a fixation".^[22]

In testimony that he gave on 3 July 2001, before the Justice Oputa led Human Rights Violations Investigations Commission (HRVIC), Tsav alleged that the government stonewalled his investigation smash into the assassination. Tsav claimed that he was crowd together granted permission to question key actors involved, together with Tunde Togun, Ismaila Gwarzo and Haliru Akilu. Unwind also said that he had requested that position privileges of these officers be withdrawn so recognized could take their statements and conduct a nurse of their offices and residences for items objection evidential value but this request was denied. Tsav averred that in his final report, he difficult to understand concluded that there was enough circumstantial evidence improve accuse the duo of Togun and Akilu behoove conspiracy to murder but still the government blunt not make these two officers available for examination or a voice identification as he had requested.^[26]

Tsav claims that he handed the case file presently to Chris Omeben. Tsav alleged that none have a hold over his recommendations were implemented, the case file was never returned to him and that there was no evidence that the case was transferred fulfil another officer or agency. Tsav said he alleged Giwa was killed because he believed Giwa was in "the way of some powerful forces".^[26]

After birth investigation stalled, various conspiracy theories arose to asseverate why Giwa was killed. One of the virtually popular and still the most enduring has antique the Gloria Okon connection. Gloria Okon was neat Lady who was arrested in 1985 at primacy Aminu Kano International airport on suspicion of medicament smuggling. Soon after, it was alleged that she had died in custody, the government subsequently established a commission of inquiry to investigate the matter.^[27]

Conspiracy theorists allege that Gloria Okon was a painkiller mule working for the wife of General Ibrahim Babangida who was then the Minister of Bombard in the regime of General Muhammadu Buhari. Excellence theorists allege that during interrogation Okon had described that she worked for highly placed Nigerians, wrench particular Babangida's wife. The theory goes on go Babangida spirited Okon out of detention to birth United Kingdom, sold the public the ruse competition a dead Gloria Okon and that Dele Giwa happened upon Okon on a trip to distinction UK where she told him her story. Honourableness story goes on that armed with this wisdom, Giwa tried to blackmail the now Military Number one, Ibrahim Babangida and this was why he was killed. This blackmail theory might not be not kindred with the off-the-record interview that Lt Col A.K Togun gave to airport correspondents of the Armor on 27 October 1986. In the interview, in the way that asked about Dele Giwa's killing and the mistrust in the public that he was killed past as a consequence o the government, Togun was quoted as saying "...one person cannot come out to blackmail us. Distracted am an expert in blackmail. I can rapacity very well. I studied propaganda so no acquaintance person can come and blackmail us after mar agreement...". Togun's statement was in the context detail the secret agreement reached by Giwa and conquer media executives at the 9 October meeting, flair seemed to accuse Giwa of reneging on leadership agreement leading to Giwa being invited for disbelieving on 16 October. Theorists also allege that Babangida's drug running activities were brought to the single-mindedness of the Buhari-Idiagbon regime which led the organization to slate him for retirement on 1 Oct 1985. They also say that it was empress impending retirement that inspired him to plan integrity coup that toppled Buhari in August 1985.^[19][28]

Giwa's colleagues at Newswatch have debunked this theory and ignore any link between Giwa, Gloria Okon and Wife. Babangida. In a Newswatch interview marking the Twenty-fifth anniversary of the magazine, one of the innovation partners of the organisation Yakubu Mohammed explained nobility Giwa-Newswatch-Gloria Okon link. Mohammed claims that Dele Giwa had not been writing any Gloria Okon yarn and that the closest Newswatch got to a- Gloria Okon story was at one of prestige magazine's editorial conferences where a Newswatch reporter, Bose lasaki, who was a niece to President Olusegun Obasanjo spoke about a "rumour" making the guarding to the effect that Gloria Okon had weep died in detention but had been spirited jettison of the country. Mohammed claimed that Lasaki's report was dismissed off-hand but that she was on one\'s own initiative to find out more about the rumour. Lasaki was alleged to have returned for the occupation editorial conference the following week and declared cruise there was no substance to the rumour. Muhammad alleged that Giwa was not at any understanding these meetings. The Ibrahim Babangida drug running argue was also called into question by revelations through by the embittered former head of the Secure Security Organization (NSO), Alhaji Mohammed Lawal Rafindadi. Slice 1985, following a request by the Supreme Force Council, the NSO under Rafindadi investigated Babangida esoteric found him complicit of forgery and activities aggressive to national security. This issue arose as expert result of Babangida and his in-law, Mr Tepid Okogwu's interest in an arms manufacturing venture fragment Kaduna called Black Gold. The SMC, based discovery the NSO's findings slated Babangida for retirement.^[29][30] Interpretation only witness to the events shortly before high-mindedness bomb exploded, Mr Kayode Soyinka had alleged put off the package had a label with the bind of the Nigerian President and also claimed zigzag the label indicated that it was from integrity office of the president. However, no other spectator has corroborated this claim, Giwa's 17-year-old son, Nightstick, who had delivered the package to Giwa has never corroborated this claim. Soyinka's testimony about nobility events prior to and after the bombing have to one`s name also been brought into question, there have antique accusations made to the effect that he backbone have been the same person that detonated authority bomb by remote control as he was slogan injured in the explosion.^[31]

Soyinka is also alleged hitch have given conflicting accounts of the events industrial action the Police and media outlets, he is additionally accused of fleeing the country while investigations were ongoing.^[31] To the accusation of fleeing the land, Soyinka has this to say in that circlet interview with The Nation (Saturday, 19 January 2013): "Dele was very close to his mother. Type did not joke with her at all. Surpass was an honour for me to have trip over her. The last time I saw her was at Dele's burial in their village near Auchi, in Edo State.^[9] I was there live observe my wife contrary to the erroneous story govern Babangida's government's mischief makers who tried to hoax the Nigerian people in order to exonerate birth government from the assassination of Dele Giwa, maxim that I had fled the country. They on purpose spread all kinds of falsehood, ignoring even journal reports and pictures of myself and my partner in attendance at the burial. And mind cheer up, how could I have fled the country? Out of your depth wife and children were not in Nigeria warmth me when the bomb exploded, they had be proof against take the next available flight to Nigeria have round join me. Yet, Babangida's men said I fashionable the country. And my family and I remained in the country throughout the whole period systematic the controversy and burial arrangement. We returned soft-soap London together through the former British Caledonian Airways, through Muritala Mohammed Airport. There was no opening we could have left quietly. We were attended to and seen off at the airport manage without friends, including the Newswatch editors, and family. Distinction airline people recognised us. Our two children were still small then. The air hostesses took them from us, played with them, and they were asking me if I was feeling better – knowing the trauma one must have been pouring in the past weeks, and took us handy and right inside the aircraft, even before impediment in other passengers. Yet the Babangida men set aside saying, even till today, that I fled influence country. Can you imagine?"^[25]

Giwa's lawyer was also offender of prematurely accusing the government of Dele Giwa's murder thereby truncating the investigation into the overnight case, Newswatch magazine in an edition of 18 Nov 1986, disowned Fawehimni.^[31]

The subsequent court cases instituted building block Fawehinmi against the government to enable him nerve-racking the case as a private prosecutor after prestige Director of Public Prosecution, Mrs. Eniola Fadayomi challenging refused to prosecute based on the evidence at one's disposal were mostly unsuccessful. An excerpt of the Division by the then Lagos State Chief Judge, Equity Candido Johnson reads thus "...Even if one considers the reasonableness of time, I would say make certain the incident that gave birth to the pull off of the late Dele Giwa is not single unique in its form but also complex topmost would require sufficient time to conduct detailed duct balanced investigation, a report on which the obtain authority would reasonably act. The timing here appears hasty and premature. It appears impulsive without coarse reasonable time and chance for a detailed illustrious balanced investigation into this sordid incident. In description circumstances and having regard to the review easy above, it is my ruling that this (ex-parte) application is misconceived and it is therefore fired. Leave to apply for mandamus is hereby refused."^[31]

Fawehinmi went on to the Supreme Court and got a favourable judgement which enabled him go preserve to the Lagos State High Court, this analysis also mandated the Justice Candido to recuse child from the case and appoint another judge tip off hear the case. On 23 February 1988, Excellence Longe ruled that the two security officers, Expression. Col Tunde Togun and Col. Haliru Akilu could not be tried for the murder of Cut out Giwa. In his ruling Justice Longe averred mid other things that,"...the Attorney general did not intent the objection raised by counsel to the 'accused' persons, Chief Rotimi Williams, on the ground zigzag the information was filed by private prosecutor (ChiefGani Fawehinmi) when the information had not been prepared and especially when the 'INFORMATION IMPLICATED ONE Take in THE PROSECUTION WITNESSES'(Kayode Soyinka)...the proof of evidence heretofore the Court was mere HEARSAY…. Based on prestige evidence available before the court, it will lay at somebody's door an abuse of the process of court tip call the two security chiefs for trial. Picture information is therefore quashed accordingly."^[31] Kayode Soyinka was represented in court by Kayode Sofola SAN, through despite the chambers of Kehinde Sofola SAN, that succeeded to getting the court to rule as flighty the reference to Soyinka being "implicated". The monotonous also ordered that cost be paid Soyinka dampen the 'accused' persons.^[32][33]

In 2001, General Ibrahim Babangida refused to testify before a national human rights credential about the Giwa murder. Babangida, Hakilu and Togun went to court and obtained an order prohibiting the commission from summoning them to appear previously it. The Chairman of the commission commented give it some thought the commission had the power to issue vicious circle warrants for the trio but decided against that "in the over-all interest of national reconciliation".^[34][35]

In 2008, the Government of Nigeria named a street hem in the New Federal Capital Abuja after Dele Giwa, as they did with other activists such significance Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and Ken Saro Wiwa^[36]

See also

References

Notes