Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has directed the Attorney General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice to reopen the investigation and prosecution of those who murdered Dele Giwa, the founder of Newswatch Magazine in 1986.
Justice Ekwo ruled that the AGF has an obligation to prosecute and penalize assassins of media practitioners in the country.
Mister Dele Giwa was assassinated on October 19, 1986, in his Lagos office by a letter bomb.
Apart from Dele Giwa, the court ordered that the killings of other journalists while performing their authorized jobs be examined and offenders prosecuted in accordance with the terms of the law.
Justice Ekwo further directed the Federal Government to ensure proper protection and safety of journalists’ lives, as enshrined in sections 33, 39 of the Constitution, and Articles 4 and 9 of the African Charters on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The Incorporated Trustees of Media Rights Agenda, MRA, has sued the AGF in court for the enforcement of media practitioners’ fundamental right to safety, as protected by the 1999 Constitution and African Human Rights Charter.