Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has said that former military ruler, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, frustrated an attempt to uncover the circumstances surrounding Dele Giwa’s death
Falana stated this while responding to questions on the recently released IBB’s memoir, ‘A Journey in Service,’ on Channels TV’s Politics today on Tuesday.
He said that IBB executed General Vatsa despite their closeness as a childhood friend.
He added that Dele Giwa’s friend and lawyer, Gani Fawehimi, did his best but to no avail.
Falana said, “IBB frustrated the attempt by the state to uncover the cause to Dele Giwa’s death. His relationship with General Vatsa was much closer than that of Dele Giwa. Vatsa was his best man. They grew up together. They were sleeping in the same room as bachelors, but he was killed without any basis.
“But coming to Dele Giwa, in October 19, 1986, when that unfortunate incident happened, one of the early callers in Dele Giwa’s house, was the the information minster of the junta and he said publically – because the novel manner of the death; we had never seen it before. We would have public inquiry. Two days later, the junta reneged on the decision of public inquiry.
“That was not enough, the late Chief Gani Faweyinmi, a personal friend and lawyer to Dele Giwa took up the matter. He wrote to the government and said that if they were not willing to prosecute I would persecute.
“The government ignored him and Gani went to court. But he was told that he had no locus standi. He went to he court of appeal and it was the same ruling.
“But the Supreme Court held that they can’t challenge a concerned citizen for questioning the death of another person.”
