Dele Giwa’s mother, Madam Elekhia Ayisat Giwa, lived for 26 years after the assassination of her son, the celebrated Nigerian journalist and founding editor of Newswatch magazine. Although she continued to live with her family, the circumstances surrounding his death remained a source of profound sorrow.
Popularly known as Mama Giwa, she died on 8 January 2013 at the age of 87. Her children later revealed that her greatest sadness was that those responsible for Dele’s murder had not been brought to justice. When her own life came to an end, her family arranged for her to be buried beside her son at Ugbekpe-Ekperi in Edo State, bringing their stories together in the family burial ground.
The Family Behind Dele Giwa
Madam Elekhia Giwa was the mother of Dele Giwa, whose journalism left a lasting mark on Nigeria’s media history. Dele became widely recognised for his writing, editorial leadership and contribution to investigative journalism.
He worked with major Nigerian newspapers before co-founding Newswatch magazine with Ray Ekpu, Dan Agbese and Yakubu Mohammed in 1984. The publication became known for its investigative reporting and coverage of political affairs.
While Dele established a public identity as a journalist, his family knew him as a son and brother. His success brought recognition to the family, but his violent death in 1986 transformed their lives in ways that extended far beyond the newsroom.
For his mother, the loss was especially painful. She had watched her son build a career in journalism, only to see his life cut short in an assassination that remained unresolved for decades.
The Murder of Dele Giwa in 1986
On 19 October 1986, Dele Giwa was killed by a parcel bomb delivered to his home in Ikeja, Lagos. The explosion occurred during the military administration of General Ibrahim Babangida.
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The journalist was 39 years old. His death shocked the Nigerian media community and attracted national and international attention. The circumstances surrounding the delivery of the explosive parcel, which was reportedly marked as coming from the Commander-in-Chief, generated widespread controversy.
Kayode Soyinka, then Newswatch’s London Bureau Chief, was with Dele when the parcel arrived and survived the explosion. His account became an important part of the public discussion surrounding the assassination.
Investigations and public demands for accountability followed, but no one was successfully brought to justice for the killing. The unresolved circumstances continued to trouble Dele’s family, colleagues and supporters.
For Mama Giwa, the assassination was not simply the loss of a prominent journalist. It was the death of her son, whose absence remained part of her everyday life.
The Sorrow Mama Giwa Carried
Reports published after her death in January 2013 revealed how deeply Dele’s assassination had affected his mother. Her children explained that the failure to identify and bring his killers to justice remained her greatest sorrow.
According to her daughter, Ronke Abibat Aboaba, the tragedy had a lasting effect on Mama Giwa. She reportedly became increasingly troubled after the assassination, and the unresolved case remained a painful subject within the family.
Her children described her as a devoted mother who valued her family and maintained close relationships with them. She later lived with her daughter in Ikorodu, Lagos, where she spent her final years.
The passage of time did not erase the family’s questions about what had happened to Dele. Each anniversary of his death brought back memories of the journalist whose life had ended so violently.
However, her final days also revealed a measure of emotional release. Her children told The Nation that shortly before her death, Mama Giwa said she had forgiven those responsible for her son’s killing and had prayed for Nigeria. Even so, she continued to hope that the truth would eventually emerge and that justice would be served.
Mama Giwa’s Death in January 2013
Madam Elekhia Ayisat Giwa died on Tuesday, 8 January 2013, at Aruna Ogun Hospital in Ikorodu, Lagos State. She was 87 years old.
News of her death brought renewed attention to the unresolved assassination of her son. For many Nigerians who remembered the 1986 parcel-bomb attack, her passing recalled the grief experienced by the family and the questions that had remained unanswered.
Her death also marked the end of a long period in which she had lived with the consequences of losing Dele. Although she had other children and grandchildren, the tragedy remained an important part of the family’s history.
She was survived by five children and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her family remembered her as a woman devoted to her children, known for her humility, selflessness and strong moral values.
Her Final Rest Beside Her Son
In February 2013, family members, friends and former colleagues of Dele Giwa gathered at Ugbekpe-Ekperi in Edo State to pay their final respects to Mama Giwa.
Her funeral service took place at the Church of God Mission in Ugbekpe-Ekperi before her remains were taken for burial. She was laid to rest beside Dele’s grave along the Auchi-Ekperi-Agenebode Road.
The burial brought together several of Dele’s former colleagues and associates, including Ray Ekpu, Dan Agbese, Yakubu Mohammed, Nosa Igiebor, Soji Akinrinade, Yemi Ogunbiyi and Kayode Soyinka. Dele’s widow, Funmi Giwa, was also present.
For those who attended, the occasion carried memories of the journalist whose assassination had left an enduring mark on Nigerian journalism. The presence of his former colleagues also demonstrated that his work and the circumstances of his death had not been forgotten.
Burying Mama Giwa beside her son gave the family a final opportunity to honour the bond between them. The two graves became a lasting reminder of a mother and son whose lives had been joined by a tragedy that remained part of Nigeria’s public memory.
The Unanswered Questions Surrounding Dele Giwa’s Death
The assassination of Dele Giwa remains one of the most widely remembered cases in Nigerian journalism. His death raised serious questions about press freedom, political power and the safety of journalists during military rule.
Despite public demands for a thorough investigation, the circumstances of the parcel-bomb attack were never conclusively resolved through a successful prosecution. The absence of a final legal resolution also meant that his family did not receive the answers they had sought for many years.
Mama Giwa’s experience gave the case another human dimension. Beyond the national debate about journalism and political accountability was a mother who had lost her son and continued to hope that the truth would emerge.
Her death in 2013 did not end the questions surrounding the assassination. Instead, it renewed public attention on a case that had remained unresolved for more than a quarter of a century.
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Conclusion
Madam Elekhia Ayisat Giwa lived to the age of 87, but the assassination of her son remained one of the defining sorrows of her life. For 26 years, she carried the memory of Dele Giwa and the unanswered questions surrounding his death.
When she passed away in January 2013, her family honoured her final journey by burying her beside him at Ugbekpe-Ekperi in Edo State. Their final resting place remains a poignant reminder of the bond between a mother and her son, and of a murder that left an enduring mark on Nigerian journalism.
Author’s Note
Mama Giwa’s story preserves the human cost of Dele Giwa’s assassination and the lasting grief experienced by his family.
References
The Nation. “Mama’s Only Sorrow Was That Justice Wasn’t Done on Dele Giwa’s Death, Say Her Children.” 9 January 2013.
The Nation. “Dele Giwa’s Mother Dies at 87.” 8 January 2013.
The Nation. “Dele Giwa’s Mother Interred Beside Son.” 17 February 2013.
Vanguard. “Dele Giwa’s Mother Dies at 87.” 8 January 2013.
Vanguard. “Soyinka Relives Dele Giwa’s Assassination as Madam Giwa Is Buried.” 16 February 2013.
P.M. News. “Madam Elekhia, Mother of Dele Giwa Laid to Rest.” 16 February 2013.
