Newswatch to unveil book honouring Dele Giwa 40 years after assassination

Newswatch Plus Limited, publisher of Newswatch, is set to unveil a commemorative book in honour of Dele Giwa, the magazine’s founding editor-in-chief, to mark 40 years since his assassination.

The book, titled Dele Giwa’s Granite Journalism, will be presented at the Kessington Adebutu Auditorium of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos, on Monday, 19 October.

According to a press release signed by Soji Akinrinade, editor-in-chief of Newswatch, the event will be chaired by Sam Amuka, founder and publisher of Vanguard newspapers.

Edited by veteran journalist Ray Ekpu, the book showcases Mr Giwa’s works and writings published in the Daily Times, Sunday Concord and Newswatch magazine. It also features tributes from prominent journalists, particularly his peers and friends.

“The book presentation gives the Dele Giwa media family an opportunity to remember the murdered journalism icon, showcasing his works and writings from Daily Times, Sunday Concord and Newswatch magazine.

“The book, edited by Ray Ekpu, also features tributes from many eminent journalists, particularly Giwa’s peers and friends. From the magazine’s inception and under Giwa’s editorship, it breathed a new life into investigative journalism in Nigeria,” the statement read.

Mr Giwa was assassinated on 19 October 1986 when a parcel bomb was delivered to his residence on Talabi Street, Ikeja, Lagos.

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His killing, widely blamed on the then-regime of military president Ibrahim Babangida, remains unresolved. Mr Babangida, 85, has consistently denied complicity in the murder. The late legal icon, Gani Fawehinmi, championed the cause of justice for Mr Giwa until he himself passed away in in September 2009.

Mr Giwa, who was 39 at the time of his death in 1986, co-founded Newswatch magazine in 1985 with Mr Ekpu, Yakubu Mohammed and Dan Agbese. Mr Giwa served as the magazine’s editor-in-chief, with Mr Ekpu as his deputy.

The magazine, under Mr Giwa’s editorship, helped advance investigative journalism in Nigeria.

The planned book presentation will also come amid the deaths of two other founding editors of the magazine. Mr Agbese died in November 2025, while Mr Mohammed died in January 2026, leaving Mr Ekpu as the last surviving member of the quartet.

The Newswatch family said the presentation would provide an opportunity to remember Mr Giwa and celebrate his contributions to journalism through his published works.

The family also appealed to media organisations to cover the event.