Court orders FG to reopen Giwa’s murder case
AFederal High Court in Abuja has ordered the federal government to reopen investigation and prosecution on the murder of a renowned journalist, Dele Giwa.
Giwa, the founding editor-inchief of Newswatch magazine, was killed by a parcel bomb at his Ikeja, Lagos residence on October 19, 1986.
Delivering judgement in a suit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of Media Rights Agenda (MRA) on Friday, Justice Inyang Ekwo, presiding judge, also ordered the restart of investigations into unresolved cases of extrajudicial killing of other journalists in the country.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/ CS/1301/2021, MRA sought the enforcement of fundamental rights of media practitioners to safety as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as well as the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.
Apart from Giwa, others listed in the affidavit include Bolade Fasisi of the National Association of Women Journalists, killed on March 31, 1998; Edward Olalekan of Daily Times, murdered on June 1, 1999; Omololu Falobi of The Punch, October 5, 2006; Godwin
Agbroko of ThisDay, December 22, 1999; Abayomi Ogundeji of ThisDay, August 17, 2008; and Edo Sule-Ugbagwu of The Nation, April 24, 2010.
The judge held that the averments of the non-governmental organisation do not controvert the case, adding that the federal government did not deny the facts of the killings.
He said, “An order is hereby made directing the federal government of Nigeria to take measures to prevent attacks on journalists and other media practitioners.
“An order is hereby made directing the federal government of Nigeria to investigate, prosecute and punish perpetrators of all attacks against journalists and other media practitioners, and ensure that all victims of attacks against journalists have access to effective remedies.
“An order is hereby made directing the federal government to take measures to raise awareness and build the capacities of various stakeholders, particularly journalists and other media practitioners, policymakers, law enforcement, security, intelligence, military as well as other officials and relevant stakeholders on the laws and standards for ensuring the safety of journalists and media practitioners.”