By The Killing Of Dele Giwa, The Repression Of Free Expression
The Killing of Dele Giwa and the Repression of Free Expression in Nigeria’s Military Regime.
One of the most mysterious assaults on free expression occurred on October 19, 1986, when a parcel bomb assassinated Nigerian journalist Dele Giwa.
During this period, Nigeria was under military rule, where the government regularly curtailed freedom of speech. Journalists who dared to criticize the administration often faced severe consequences. Among the most daring was Giwa, who wrote courageously about governmental corruption, drug smuggling, and abuses under military rule. His work earned him both admiration and official scrutiny.
On that ominous day, Giwa was at home, sharing breakfast with his friend and close associate, Kayode Soyinka, when a package arrived from a uniformed courier. With a government seal on the envelope, it appeared to be an official document. Giwa, assuming it was significant, opened it—only to discover it was a deadly letter bomb.
The powerful explosion shook the room. Soyinka, seated across from him, survived the blast, but Giwa took the full force. In his final moments, he remained conscious and reportedly murmured, “They’ve got me.” He was rushed to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries, marking a tragic moment as a journalist was slain by a parcel bomb.
Decades later, Giwa’s murder remains unsolved, a haunting reminder of the extremes to which authoritarian regimes may go to silence dissenting voices.
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