I had nothing to do with Dele Giwa’s death – IBB opens up

A former Military President of Nigeria, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, has denied any involvement in the death of the late editor of Newswatch, Dele Giwa.

Giwa was murdered on October 19, 1986, after he opened a package with a bomb at his Ikeja, Lagos residence.

His first son, Billy, handed the parcel to him, saying it was delivered by some unknown persons.

After Giwa’s death at 39 years, the killers remain unknown to date.

His death also marked the death of Newswatch magazine, which was co-founded by Ray Ekpu, Yakubu Mohammed and Dan Agbese.

IBB has said he hopes that one day the mystery behind the murder will be uncovered.

He stated this during the launch of his autobiography, ‘A Journey in Service’ in Abuja, on Thursday.

“It was an attitude of ‘we versus the government’ that has remained today,” IBB said.

“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 will be uncovered in our life time or after us. More often than not, mysterious crimes are solved long after their commission.”