DELE GIWA: KILLED AT 39, REMEMBERED 39 YEARS AFTER. (PHOTO).

 Dele Giwa: Killed at 39, remembered 39 years after

By Mike Awoyinfa

It was an unforgettable moment — a rupture in our nation’s consciousness, leaving a wound that refuses to heal even 39 years after. For Nigerian journalism, and for Christians going to church or already inside church that Sunday morning, it was a godly yet ungodly day. The moment arrived with deafening finality on October 19, 1986.

The weapon was not a bullet in the dark or a roadside ambush, but a meticulously disguised parcel, delivered right into the hands of its intended target. Dele Giwa, the celebrated co-founder of Newswatch magazine — a titan of investigative reporting and of flowing prose — was just 39 when he was literally blown into history.

Now, 39 years later, the haunting symmetry of his age and the time elapsed stands as a chilling monument to a life cut short. Giwa’s murder — Nigeria’s first-ever assassination by letter bomb — was a shocking act that did more than silence one man. It forever redefined the dangerous yet vital stakes of speaking truth to power in our country.

I was one of the fortunate few disciples who had the privilege of not just knowing him but serving under him and learning indelible lessons from our encounters. His courage, wit, writing style, liveliness, sense of humour, and uncompromising dedication to journalism still echo in my professional life. This is not just a requiem for a martyr; it is a testament to the enduring fire of the man I called my mentor.

Today, if people call me the master headline crafter, I owe it to God — and to Dele Giwa. As our editor and leader in Sunday Concord, he was our Lionel Messi — the football magician, tactician, and goal scorer extraordinaire. Yet he tried to prove to us that he didn’t know it all, by delegating and trusting others to shine.

Our newsroom in Sunday Concord was called the “Writers’ Enclave.” It was a team of stars — the newspaper equivalent of Real Madrid — featuring Soji Akinrinade, Banji Adeyanju, Lewis Obi, Chuma Adichie, Dimgba Igwe, Abel Oshevire, May Ellen Ezekiel, Stella Balogun, Monzor Dawodu, Lateef Ogunmade, and Sunny Ojeagbase (the legendary sportswriter and publisher, now gone), among other daredevil strikers, midfielders, and defenders.

As our coach and captain, Dele Giwa would sometimes pass the cover story to me to find the most befitting headline. Luckily, I never disappointed. I scored time after time. The more headlines I wrote, the more confident, creative, and skilful I became. To God be the glory.

How did I get into Sunday Concord? I was then the Kaduna Bureau Chief of Concord, having left the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) to join the new newspaper outfit owned by the late billionaire Chief M.K.O. Abiola, which paraded journalism stars like Dr Doyin Aboaba, (who later married Chief Abiola), Chief Henry Odukomaiya, Sam Oni, and Dele Giwa — whose “Parallax Snaps” column was my stylebook and journalism bible even before I joined Concord.

As Bureau Chief, I didn’t limit myself to straight news and officialese. I went further to hunt for human-interest stories, written with heart and wit, and sent them weekly to Dele Giwa in Lagos. The first story so dazzled him that he was shouting my name and praises in the newsroom — even before we met. Immediately, he opened a column called Reporter’s Notebook, which I dominated with short, sharp, lively features. I also contributed to the Sunday Concord magazine, putting Kaduna firmly on the Concord map.

At one point, I received an offer to join Sunday New Nigerian in Kaduna. On hearing the news, Dele Giwa flew all the way from Lagos to Kaduna to appeal to me to stay. I still hear his words echoing in my ears:

“Mike, you must write yourself into recognition.”

Those words sounded like Jose Mourinho motivating his players at Chelsea or Angelo Dundee firing up Muhammad Ali before a fight.

I remember waiting for Dele Giwa that evening until about 9 o’clock when his delayed flight finally landed in Kaduna. As he sat in front of my Toyota Celica and I tried to drive off, the car refused to start. What an embarrassment! Could it be the battery? What do I do?

Then, like in a movie, my great editor got out. With surprising humility, he helped push the car down the sloping road — all alone. And voila! The engine roared back to life. We drove to Durbar Hotel, where his booking had been made, and talked all the way as the car radio played the smooth jazz of Earl Klugh and Noel Pointer, the violinist who also died aged 39 — his Night Song still rings in my memory.

Not long after, a clash erupted at Concord between the publisher and his top editors, leading to the exit of heavyweights like Dele Giwa, Ray Ekpu, and Yakubu Mohammed, who joined Dan Agbese to found Newswatch magazine. I was invited to join Newswatch, but we couldn’t agree on salary, so I stayed back.

A couple of years later, African Concord magazine was launched, with Lewis Obi as Editor. I was moved to the Features Desk as Features Editor. Around that time, my late friend Dimgba Igwe and I had written a bestseller titled The Art of Features — a practical guide that has helped generations of journalists.

As Features Editor, I knew I had to turn around the desk by introducing human-angle stories that touched readers. I worked with journalists like Tunji Bello, Omololu Kassim, Richard Mofe-Damijo, Mrs. Wale Sokunbi, and Sanya Oni. Together, we revolutionised features writing — and the results showed. Circulation rose, and when Dr Doyin Abiola returned from holiday with a vision for a Saturday newspaper, I was her obvious choice as Editor. That was in 1988 — the same year my twin boys were born. Again, I thank God for using me as a tool for good.

My only regret is that my mentor, Dele Giwa, who was killed on October 19, 1986, did not live to see the birth of Weekend Concord. He would have loved it.

Around the time he died, robbers invaded my home in Lagos. To escape, I jumped into a nearby bushy, undeveloped plot and fractured my right leg. Even with the leg encased in plaster, nothing could stop me from paying homage to my editor. With crutches, I made my way to the Newswatch office, where his body lay in state. Many mistook me for Kayode Soyinka, who had been with him that Sunday morning — eating breakfast when the parcel arrived. Dele Giwa tore open the Pandora’s Box, and out came death in a thunderous blast that took one man and spared the other.

That one man — Dele Giwa — died 39 years ago at the age of 39. May his soul rest in perfect peace.

And thank you, my University of Lagos classmate, Teddy Iwere, who inspired me to write this column after a WhatsApp chat where he said:

“You have very good memories of him. Your column has written itself.”