In a moving reflection that bridged decades of grief, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa has revisited the harrowing moment she stood in a cold mortuary to identify the “shattered pieces” of her ex-husband, the legendary investigative journalist Dele Giwa.
Speaking during a recent interview on Arise TV, the stateswoman and socialite, popularly known as “Mama Bakassi,” provided a visceral account of the aftermath of Nigeria’s first-ever parcel bomb assassination. Her testimony serves as a haunting reminder of the high price paid by those who dared to speak truth to power during the nation’s military era.
A Sight Beyond Human Endurance
Ita-Giwa recounted the somber journey to the mortuary, a task she undertook alongside two iconic figures of Nigerian history: veteran journalist and former governor Segun Osoba, and the late “People’s Lawyer,” Gani Fawehinmi.
The Senator’s voice carried the weight of a trauma that time has failed to erase. “We were taken into the mortuary… and I saw this human being lying in pieces,” she shared. Confronted with the physical devastation caused by the explosion, she questioned the limits of human resilience: “How much can a human being take? I took all of that in.”
The Man Behind the Legend
Beyond the gruesome details of his demise, Ita-Giwa spoke with profound admiration for the intellect and audacity that defined Dele Giwa’s life. As the founding Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch magazine, Giwa revolutionized Nigerian journalism with a fearless, investigative style that often unsettled the ruling elite.
For Ita-Giwa, the loss was not just personal but national. She described him as a man of extraordinary courage and spirit—qualities that made the sight of his broken body even more unfathomable.
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An Unsolved Chapter in History
Dele Giwa was killed on October 19, 1986, at his home in Ikeja, Lagos, while having breakfast with his colleague Kayode Soyinka. The delivery of a parcel marked “From the Office of the C-in-C” triggered a blast that shook the foundation of the Nigerian press.
Despite decades of advocacy by legal luminaries like Gani Fawehinmi, the masterminds behind the assassination have never been officially brought to justice. Ita-Giwa’s recent reflections reignite a conversation about accountability and the enduring scars of Nigeria’s political history.
