General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), former military president, has denied involvement in the death of journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch, Dele Giwa, noting that he had no hands in it.
Giwa was assassinated via a parcel bomb in his home in Ikeja, Lagos State on October 19, 1986.
Two days before the incident, a senior official of the Directorate of Military Intelligence, had accused Giwa of illegally importing and stockpiling arms and ammunition to stage a socialist revolution in Nigeria.
Alarmed at the charge, Giwa quickly briefed his lawyer, Gani Fawehinmi.
The following day, a security chief, Colonel Halilu Akilu, called to reassure Giwa that the accusation had resulted from a misunderstanding, that the matter had been cleared, and that Giwa should think nothing of it.
According to Ray Ekpu, Giwa’s colleague at Newswatch, a few hours later, a government emissary arrived at Giwa’s Ikeja residence.
Giwa's son, Billy, collected the parcel and handed it to his father, who was seated at the dining table in the company of Kayode Soyinka, the London correspondent of Newswatch, who was visiting from the UK.
The envelope bore the seal of the Presidency and was allegedly marked “To be opened by addressee only.”
However, dismissing the longtime allegation that he was involved in Giwa’s death, Babangida, in his autobiography, “A Journey in Service,” presented in Abuja on Thursday, noted that he expected that one day, the truth would be uncovered.
“The hysteria of the media did not help the investigation of the Giwa murder. As is typical of the Nigerian media, the direction was marked by an adversarial attitude towards the government, which had remained the hallmark of the Nigerian media from its colonial heyday," he said.
“It was an attitude of ‘we versus the government’ that has remained today. It is a situation in which the government is adjudged guilty even before the evidence in a case is adduced.
“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. The Giwa, like all mysterious murders, has remained unsolved after so many years. I keep hoping it will be uncovered in our lifetime or after us. More often than not, mysterious crimes are solved long after their commission.”
The public presentation of the autobiography also witnessed the launch of Babangida’s presidential library.
N17.5 billion for presidential library
Meanwhile, the Nigerian business elites announced about N17.5 billion in donations to the IBB Presidential Library project at the launch of the autobiography.
Billionaire industrialist and philanthropist Abdul Samad Rabiu announced a donation of N5 billion, topping the list of donors.
Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, donated N2 billion and pledged to add N2 billion annually over the next three years, bringing his total to N8 billion, while former army chief and minister of defence TY Danjuma pledged N3 billion.
Billionaire businessman Arthur Eze also supported the project with N500 million.
In his remarks, Mr Babangida praised Mr Rabiu for supporting the project from the very beginning, adding that his commitment was critical in bringing the library’s vision closer to reality.
According to the promoters, the IBB Presidential Library is designed as “a national institution that will serve as a repository of Nigeria’s arts, political, and military history.”
They said the library would preserve the evolution of leadership and governance in the country, especially during Mr Babangida’s eight years in power. The Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta is the only one of its kind in Nigeria yet.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo chaired the book presentation event, and former Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo delivered a keynote address.
Three former Nigerian leaders, Yakubu Gowon, Abdulsalami Abubakar, Goodluck Jonathan, and former Sierra Leonean President Ernest Koroma, attended the event.
Also in attendance were former Vice Presidents Atiku Abubakar, Namadi Sambo and Yemi Osinbajo, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Mr Peter Obi and the Presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Rabiu Kwankwaso, while senior aides represented former President Muhammadu Buhari and Danjuma
In his remarks, President Tinubu stressed the importance of documenting Nigeria’s leadership journey and Mr Babangida’s impact on the country’s history.
Osinbajo provided a detailed review of the book, which offers rare insights into the former leader’s time in power, including the controversial annulment of the June 12, 1993 election.
The keynote speaker was Nana Akufo-Addo, former President of Ghana and his counterpart, the former President of Sierra Leone, Ernest Koroma, also graced the occasion.
Governors, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, industrialists, technocrats and traditional rulers were also in attendance.
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