The Executive Director of the Centre for Free Speech Organisation, Richard Akinnola, has strongly refuted former military president General Ibrahim Babangida’s account of the assassination of Dele Giwa, the founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch.
In a statement titled Dele Giwa: IBB Lied, Akinnola dismissed Babangida’s denial of involvement as expected. He likened it to a suspect pleading not guilty in court, arguing that self-preservation is a natural instinct. He referenced Major Gideon Orkar, who attempted to overthrow Babangida’s regime in 1990, pointing out that even he denied guilt before a military tribunal.
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Akinnola accused Babangida of revising history to misrepresent facts and cited two false claims in Babangida’s book regarding Giwa’s death. He suggested that either Babangida’s ghostwriters lacked accurate information or that the former leader was deliberately distorting the truth.
One of the disputed claims was Babangida’s assertion that the Oputa Panel, which investigated human rights abuses, failed to present fresh evidence on Giwa’s murder. Akinnola countered that Babangida had declined to appear before the panel despite being invited. He pointed out that retired Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Tsav, testified under oath that his investigation pointed to Babangida’s administration as being responsible for the journalist’s assassination. Additionally, Akinnola noted that the mysterious case of Gloria Okon—a woman allegedly linked to drug trafficking—surfaced during the hearings, further contradicting Babangida’s statements.
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Concluding his remarks, Akinnola dismissed Babangida’s claim of friendship with Dele Giwa, stating that the former president executed his childhood friend, Mamman Vatsa, and questioning why he would spare a journalist he only met professionally.
