I have no hand in Dele Giwa’s dead – IBB

Former military ruler, General Ibrahim Babangida, has denied any involvement in the death of renowned journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch, Dele Giwa.

In his newly released autobiography, A Journey in Service, Babangida addressed the long-standing allegations linking him to the 1986 letter bomb assassination of the journalist.

He criticized the Nigerian media for its adversarial stance towards the government, stating that their approach hindered proper investigation into the case.

“The hysteria of the media did not help the investigation of the Giwa murder,” Babangida wrote. “As is typical of the Nigerian media, the direction was marked by an adversarial attitude towards the government… It is a situation in which the government is adjudged guilty even before the evidence in a case is adduced.”

Babangida also referenced the Oputa Panel, set up by the Obasanjo administration to investigate human rights abuses, stating that despite the case being reopened, no new evidence was presented to implicate him or anyone else in the murder.

“The Giwa case, 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,” he added.

Dele Giwa’s assassination remains one of Nigeria’s most controversial unresolved murders, with many still calling for justice decades after his death.