Medical doctor Dokun Adedeji has recounted the final moments of Dele Giwa, founding editor-in-chief of Newswatch magazine, who died from injuries sustained in a parcel bomb attack on 19 October 1986.
Adedeji, who treated the late journalist at First Foundation Medical Centre in Opebi, Ikeja, Lagos, shared his account on Monday at the launch of Dele Giwa’s Granite Journalism at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Lagos.
The book documents some of Giwa’s writings for Daily Times, Sunday Concord and Newswatch.
Recalling the day of the attack, Adedeji said Giwa was rushed to the hospital in a company bus shortly after the bomb exploded at his residence.
“It was about 12:30 in the afternoon when a company bus was driven into First Foundation Medical Centre Opebi, Ikeja,” he said.
“I was the doctor on duty for the weekend. I saw people running, saying, ‘they brought Dele Giwa’.”
Adedeji said Giwa had suffered devastating injuries but remained conscious and able to speak when he arrived at the hospital.
“So, we took Uncle Dele to the emergency room. What I saw, I have never seen again since in my practice. He was shattered. His two limbs were open, and he was bleeding.
“But he was still talking. He said, ‘Dokun, se mi o ni ku sha? (I hope I will not die?).’ I said, ‘I don’t know’.”
The doctor said Giwa died at about 1pm, less than an hour after arriving at the hospital.
“One thing was sure. I think it was better that he died. There was no way Uncle Dele would have lived with that injury even if he lived,” Adedeji said.
He recalled keeping the clothes and shoes stained with Giwa’s blood for five years as a reminder of the journalist, whom he regarded as a brother.
“He died around 1pm. His blood was on my clothes and my shoes. I hung them for five years in the corner of my room, so that every time I saw them, I would remember.
“Uncle Dele was not just my patient. He was like a brother. He treated me like a brother.”
Giwa Asked About His Daughter After The Blast
Adedeji also recalled that Giwa repeatedly asked about his wife, Funmi, and his youngest daughter, Aisha, after the explosion.
“How is Aisha? Do you know anything about Aisha?” the doctor quoted him as asking from his hospital bed.
Aisha had reportedly crawled into the dining area after the parcel bomb exploded at the family’s residence.
Giwa was 39 when he was killed. He had built a reputation as an investigative journalist whose reporting examined the activities of powerful figures and institutions.
His assassination occurred during the military administration of Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, who ruled Nigeria from 1985 to 1993.
Events Before The Assassination
Giwa’s death came two days after he was questioned by officials of the State Security Service (SSS), now known as the Department of State Services (DSS).
The journalist had written about the Second-Tier Foreign Exchange Market (SFEM), a Central Bank of Nigeria policy introduced to determine the naira’s exchange rate and allocate foreign exchange through market forces.
In the article, Giwa warned that if the policy failed, the people would stone “their leaders in the streets”.
Around the same period, Giwa was questioned by Halilu Akilu of the then Directorate of Military Intelligence over allegations that he had discussed arms importation with some people.
He appeared at the SSS headquarters on 16 October 1986, two days before his death.
On 18 October, Akilu reportedly telephoned Giwa’s home and asked his wife, Funmi, for directions, saying he wanted to visit on his way to Kano.
On the day of the attack, Akilu reportedly told Giwa over the telephone that the matter had been resolved after the journalist questioned his frequent calls.
Shortly afterwards, a parcel was delivered to Giwa’s residence. The package exploded, severely injuring him.
Kayode Soyinka, Newswatch’s London bureau chief, was with Giwa at the time but narrowly escaped the blast after leaving to use the restroom.
Giwa was taken to hospital but died from his injuries.
Nearly four decades after his assassination, the circumstances surrounding his death remain a significant part of Nigeria’s journalistic history. He would have turned 79 in 2026.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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