The Attorney General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice have been directed by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court Abuja to reopen the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the 1986 murder of Newswatch Magazine founder Dele Giwa.
In his ruling, Justice Ekwo stated that the AGF has a duty to bring charges against and punish those who murder journalists in the nation.
On October 19, 1986, a letter bomb killed Mister Dele Giwa in his Lagos office.
In addition to Dele Giwa, the court mandated that the deaths of other journalists while they were performing their legal obligations be looked into, with the guilty held accountable under the law.
In accordance with Articles 4 and 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights as well as Sections 33 and 39 of the Constitution, Justice Ekwo further mandated that the Federal Government provide sufficient security and safety for the lives of journalists.
