Tunde, a younger brother of the slain
founding Editor of Newswatch Magazine, Dele Giwa, says the family’s pain
has yet to be assuaged 30 years after Giwa’s murder because the killer
has not been brought to justice.
He said the family continued to live in
pain seeing that Giwa’s killer, “who everyone knows” was still around
and walking freely.
Tunde, who made a passionate appeal to
journalists in the country not to allow the case to be forgotten, said
just like every other Nigerian, he knew Giwa’s killer and could mention
his name.
Tunde spoke on behalf of the Giwa family
on Wednesday at a colloquium organised by the Nigeria Union of
Journalists, Lagos State Council to mark the 30th anniversary of Dele
Giwa’s death.
Also present on the occasion, which held
at the Multipurpose Hall, Radio Lagos/Eko FM, Ikeja, were Giwa’s widow,
Funmi, and his daughter, Aisha, who was said to be only a few months
old at the time Giwa was killed.
Tunde, who described his slain elder
brother as the breadwinner of the family, said the family had not
remained the same since he was murdered.
He called on journalists in the country to help the family get justice.
Tunde said, “You people should help us
to unravel the mystery surrounding the death of Dele Giwa. Everybody
knows the person that killed him. He’s there walking freely around. I
can mention his name if you want.
“Please, help us…The day I see the killer arraigned in court, I will be the happiest person on earth.”
In his welcome address, the Chairman of
the NUJ, Lagos State Council, Mr. Deji Elumoye, said it was sad and
regrettable that 30 years after Giwa was killed by a letter bomb, no
arrest had been made and no one had been prosecuted.
He said it was sad that journalists had
become the most conspicuous butt of inhuman treatment not only in
Nigeria but on the entire African continent.
He demanded, on behalf of the NUJ, that
the Federal Government should order the Inspector-General of Police to
reopen investigation into Giwa’s assassination.
“It is a matter of worry that
journalists could become subjects of attacks in the course of carrying
out their duty as members of the Fourth Estate of the Realm.
“Not quite long ago, a photo journalist,
Mr. Benedict Uwalaka, and the Executive Director and Chairman, Badagry
Prime, were killed with the complicity of security agents.”
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