USA Africa Dialogue Series - THE DELE GIWA ASSASSINATION AND THE "COMMANDER IN CHIEF"

When the Nigerian journalist Dele Giwa was assassinated more than a decade ago through a letter bomb,one of his members of staff,Kayode Soyinka (?) who was with him when he received the letter,if I remember well, stated that Giwa said the letter was from the Commander in Chief.

Who is the  Commander in Chief in a political  system like Nigeria was at the time? The President of the country,who at that time was General Ibrahim Babangida.

Shortly before Giwa received that letter,one of the aides of the President had called on Giwa by phone.It was either Halilu Akilu or Tunde Togun.One of those men was  also later quoted as referring to Giwa's case after the assassination in terms of a person performing the suicidal action of placing themselves in the path of  a moving vehicle,or something along those lines.

The civil rights lawyer Gani Fawehimi tried strenuously to bring Akilu and Togun to trial on this case, without success.Babangida was later  invited to the reconciliation  committee set up by the Obasanjo government to explain himself in relation to this and other issues but as far as I know he never honoured the invitation.

No headway has been made on the Giwa case.I dont think  anybody was charged  for that assassination.

It has turned out exactly as predicted by the shocked students I was talking with at the University of Benin when we heard the news. It was agreed that nobody would be prosecuted for the murder because a person who could commit such a brazen act against such a  famous journalist must have the connections in government to make sure that no investigation would be made.

Meanwhile,Akilu and Togun walk free.Babangida has become known as the "ultimate godfather" and is even campaigning to contest in the next Presidential election  in Nigeria.

I can still visualise the picture of the shattered lower half of Giwa's body,the flesh burnt like butchered meat.I understand he appealed to his friend, the doctor who treated him, "Dont let me die".

Any suggested  corrections about facts in this account are welcome.

Also blogged at Cognitive Diary.

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Thanks

Toyin

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