Veteran journalist and Executive Director of the Centre for Free Speech Organisation, Richard Akinnola, has accused former military ruler, General Ibrahim Babangida (retd), of distorting facts about the 1986 letter bomb assassination of Newswatch co-founder, Dele Giwa.
In a strongly worded statement titled “Dele Giwa: IBB Lied”, Akinnola dismissed Babangida’s claims of innocence, comparing them to the routine denials of criminal suspects.
“I understand Babangida’s denial—it’s a matter of self-preservation. But in doing so, he has no right to rewrite history by deliberately misrepresenting facts,” Akinnola stated.
He pointed out key inaccuracies in Babangida’s autobiography, particularly the claim that no new evidence emerged during the Oputa Panel hearings under former President Olusegun Obasanjo. Akinnola countered that retired Commissioner of Police, Abubakar Tsav, had testified under oath that his investigation pointed to Babangida’s regime as responsible for Giwa’s assassination.
“IBB himself refused to appear before the Oputa Panel, yet he now claims no fresh evidence was presented. That’s simply false,” Akinnola argued.
He further dismissed Babangida’s portrayal of Giwa as a “good friend,” highlighting that Babangida had even executed his childhood friend, Mamman Vatsa, during his time in power.
“If you could execute your childhood friend, who then is Dele Giwa to you? You only met him in the course of his work as a journalist. Let’s not pretend,” Akinnola said.
The fiery statement has reignited public discourse on the decades-old mystery surrounding Giwa’s assassination, a case that remains unresolved.
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