Dele Giwa’s death: Veteran journalist slams IBB, accuses him of being economical with truth

Veteran journalist Richard Akinnola has dismissed former Head of State Ibrahim Babangida’s claims about the killing of Dele Giwa, founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch, as a deliberate distortion of facts.

Akinnola, lawyer and Executive Director of the Centre for Free Speech Organisation, is skeptical of Babangida’s account, which many believe is an attempt to deflect responsibility for Giwa’s murder, Persecondnews reports.

Akinnola, in a statement obtained by Persecondnews, titled ‘Dele Giwa: IBB lied’, said: “I can understand the denial of General Ibrahim Babangida of his innocence over the murder of Dele Giwa. It is expected. Have you seen an armed robbery suspect charged to court pleading guilty in court? It’s a matter of self-preservation.

“Even Major Gideon Orkar, who announced on radio the ouster of Babangida in the abortive coup of April 22, 1990, pleaded not guilty before the military tribunal. So, Babangida’s denial of his government’s involvement in the murder is understandable.

“However, in doing that, he doesn’t have that latitude of revisionism by deliberately misrepresenting facts. I make reference to two of such.

“In his book, General Ibrahim Babangida made two major false assertions regarding the letter bomb murder of Dele Giwa, founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch.

It’s either those, who wrote the book for him didn’t have the facts, or that IBB was just being mischievous.”

Babangida wrote in his book: “When the Obasanjo civilian administration reopened the Giwa case at the Oputa Panel on Human and Civil Rights, I expected that the police and lawyers would come forward with new evidence as to their findings on the Giwa murder over the years. Nothing of such happened.

But Akinnola disagreed with Babangida’s foregoing assertion, saying: “My response: Invitation was extended to Babangida by the Oputa panel, he shunned it. He was wrong to state that the police and lawyers didn’t come up with a new thing at the Oputa panel.

“At the Oputa panel, Abubakar Tsav, retired Commissioner of Police gave evidence on oath that he was assigned to investigate the case and at the end of his investigation, his findings pointed to the Babangida government.and that he submitted his findings to DIG Chris Omeben.

“Also, contrary to what IBB said in his book that no fresh evidence came up, the issue of Gloria Okon came up during the hearing.

“Having said these, it’s either those who wrote the book for him didn’t get their facts right or that General Babangida was being mischievous in what he wrote in the book regarding the murder of Dele Giwa.”

On Babangida’s claim of close acquaintanceship with Dele Giwa, Akinnola stated: “It is even deceitful to be referring to Dele as your good friend. From where to where?

“If you could execute your childhood friend, Mamman Vatsa, who then is Dele Giwa, who you only met in the course of his official duties as a journalist? Dele Giwa was not your friend, General.”