Press Statement 40 YEARS AFTER DELE GIWA’s ASSASSINATION; IPC DEMANDS ANSWERS, ACCOUNTABILITY AND JUSTICE For immediate release, October 19, 2026 The Safety and Protection of Journalists (SPJ) Hub of the International Press Centre (IPC) is demanding answers, accountability and justice, forty years after the brutal assassination of Dele Giwa, founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch Magazine. On 19 October 1986, Dele Giwa was killed at his home in Lagos by a parcel bomb. He was 39 years old. Four decades later, the questions surrounding his murder remain unanswered, and no one has been held criminally accountable for his death. This enduring failure is an indictment of the country's commitment to justice, accountability and the protection of journalists. Dele Giwa was more than a journalist. He was the Sunday Editor of National Concord and founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch Magazine whose commitment to investigative reporting helped reshape Nigerian journalism. Through his work, he championed the public's right to know and demonstrated the essential role of a free press in holding power accountable. The Executive Director of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, in a statement, described Giwa’s assassination as merely not only a personal tragedy for his family, colleagues and friends. “It was an attack on the fundamental principle that journalists must be able to investigate, question authority and report in the public interest without fear of violence or intimidation.” Mr. Arogundade further stated that, “Forty years without justice is far too long. Silence cannot substitute for accountability, and the passage of time must not become an excuse for abandoning the pursuit of truth.” “The failure to bring this case to a credible conclusion has left a painful question hanging over Nigeria's democratic and human rights record: can the killing of a journalist remain unresolved indefinitely without undermining public confidence in the institutions responsible for upholding the law? Mr. Arogundade noted.” IPC-SPJ Hub is therefore calling on the Federal Government, the Nigeria Police Force and all relevant investigative and prosecutorial authorities to: 1.Reopen and pursue a credible, independent investigation into Dele Giwa's assassination and many other journalists who have been murdered, building on available evidence, historical records and previous investigative findings. Some of the other unresolved murdered cases include: Bayo Ohu of The Guardian Newspaper – September 20,2009 Nathan S. Dabak & Sunday Gyang Bwede of The Light Bearer – April 24, 2010 Zakariya Isa of Nigeria Television Authority – October 22, 2011 Enenche Akogwu of Channels Television – January 20, 2012 Maxwell Nashan of Federal Radio Corporation – January 15, 2020 Alex Ogbu of The Regent Africa Time Magazine – January 21, 2020 Emmanuel Adeyemi of Sun Newspaper – October 26, 2020 Titus Badejo of Naija FM – June 19, 2021 Tordue Salem of Vanguard Newspaper – November 11, 2021 1.Honour Dele Giwa's legacy and strengthen protection for journalists, recognising that press freedom is indispensable to transparency, democratic accountability and the protection of citizens' rights. As we commemorate the 40th anniversary of Dele Giwa’s death, we must resist the temptation to reduce him to an annual remembrance marked by speeches and tributes. His legacy demands action. Journalists deserve to know that the profession they serve is protected by the rule of law. A country cannot credibly celebrate press freedom while leaving one of its most notorious attacks on a journalist unresolved for four decades. SGD: Melody Akinjiyan Press Freedom Officer, IPC-SPJ Hub [email protected]

#VEPSouthWest2026: VEP leaders and resource persons at the ongoing South-West edition, strengthening electoral trust, crisis communication and information integrity, implemented by @IPC and @CEMESO with funding from the European Union under @EU_SDGN, Component 4, Support to Media.

Opening Remarks | #VEPSouthWest2026 “This convening does not seek to replace the Commission’s work. It seeks to strengthen the hands already doing it, so that when those words are tested in the weeks ahead, it is your desks that carry the Commission’s resolve to the public.” Dr. Akin Akingbulu, Executive Director,@cemesoofficial

#VEPSouthWest2026: Guiding the two-day South-West zonal capacity-strengthening programme for the leadership of INEC’s Voter Education and Publicity function sessions in Ibadan: Dr. @mondaymichaels , Managing Editor, Quick News (communication, media relations, conflict-sensitive engagement) Dr. Mohammed Amali, Senior Researcher, Bills & Legislative Drafting, NILDS (2026 Electoral Act, misinformation, inclusive engagement) @cemesoofficial

#VEPSouthWest2026: “Nigeria does not have a uniform electoral information environment. Regional differences in information needs, media access, public concerns and patterns of trust must inform how voter education is designed and delivered. A message that works in Ibadan may fail in Maiduguri.” “This initiative is the first of an edition that will also be extended to the Northcentral (Jos), Southeast (Enugu) and Northwest (Kano). The sessions are designed to be tested, adapted and strengthened by what each zone brings.” Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director, @IPCng

Day 1 | #VEPSouthWest2026 #NigeriaDecides2027 Not a lecture series. The method: 🔗Case studies 🔗Simulation labs 🔗Expert-led discussion 🔗Peer learning All adapted to each participant’s state and constituency. @EU_SDGN @inecnigeria VEP

Day 1 | #VEPSouthWest2026 What changes in the room today? ✍️From reacting to rumour → to detecting and verifying it ✍️From general messaging → to audience-segmented communication ✍️From quoting the law → to operationalising the 2026 Electoral Act ✍️From assumed trust → to building it @EU_SDGN @inecnigeria

On-going Interface with Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ and Editors/Publishers on Democratic Scorecard Ondo State edition at the Royal Bird Hotel Akure. ##EU4DemocracyNG