The mid-1980s were a time of fear, silence, and absolute military control in Nigeria. The government ruled through decrees, the press was restricted, and citizens learned that questioning authority often carried consequences. Amid this climate, two names emerged and refused to fade, Gloria Okon and Dele Giwa.
Their stories unfolded within a year of each other. One involved a young woman reportedly arrested for drug trafficking whose sudden death in custody raised public outrage. The other was the shocking assassination of a fearless journalist. Both events would test the boundaries of truth, accountability, and memory in a nation where silence was often enforced.
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The 1985 Arrest and Reported Death of Gloria Okon
In April 1985, Nigerian newspapers reported that a woman identified as Gloria Okon had been arrested at Aminu Kano International Airport for alleged drug trafficking. It was further reported that she died in custody shortly after her arrest.
No comprehensive official record or public inquiry has ever confirmed the precise details of her arrest or death. Without autopsy results, court transcripts, or a government statement placed in the public domain, much of the story remains unverified.
Despite this, the event entered Nigeria’s collective consciousness as a symbol of state secrecy. Citizens were left to question how a detainee in official custody could die without accountability. The mystery deepened over time, turning Gloria Okon’s name into a recurring reference point whenever issues of justice, truth, and government transparency were discussed.
The 1986 Parcel Bomb and the Death of Dele Giwa
On 19 October 1986, Dele Giwa, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Newswatch magazine, was killed by a parcel bomb delivered to his home in Lagos. It was Nigeria’s first recorded mail-bomb assassination and remains one of the darkest moments in the country’s journalistic history.
Before his death, Giwa had held meetings with officials from the State Security Service. These meetings are documented in reputable sources, though their exact content has never been made public. What followed was a national outcry, as Nigerians demanded answers that never came.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) lists Giwa’s case as one of the most serious unresolved attacks on press freedom in Africa. His death marked a turning point, forcing Nigerian journalists to confront the risks of confronting authority and demanding transparency.
The 1999 Oputa Panel and Historical Allegations
When Nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999, the new administration established the Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission, commonly called the Oputa Panel, to review abuses committed between 1966 and 1999.
During its hearings, some petitioners claimed that Dele Giwa had been investigating an alleged connection between the Gloria Okon case and Maryam Babangida, wife of then Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida.
The Oputa Panel report confirmed that these allegations were presented, but it made no judicial findings to support them. The commission’s function was to document petitions and testimonies, not to issue verdicts.
Years later, Newswatch co-founder Yakubu Mohammed publicly stated that Giwa was never working on a story involving Gloria Okon. His 2025 remarks reaffirmed that no such investigation existed within Newswatch at the time. This denial remains a significant correction to the rumours that have circulated for decades.
The Absence of Public Records and Its Consequences
The most enduring feature of both cases is the absence of transparent documentation. For Gloria Okon, there is no official death record, medical report, or government investigation available to the public. For Dele Giwa, there is abundant reporting but no conviction or closure.
These gaps in recordkeeping have shaped Nigeria’s civic imagination. Where official silence prevails, speculation takes root. Over time, those speculations evolve into collective memory, blending fact and folklore until the truth itself becomes uncertain.
The inability to provide closure in both cases has left lasting damage. It has eroded public trust in institutions, deepened cynicism about justice, and made Nigerians wary of believing official statements without proof.
Enduring Lessons from Two Unresolved Cases
Though separated by circumstance, the names Gloria Okon and Dele Giwa are joined by what they reveal about state power and public truth. Gloria Okon’s reported death exposed the vulnerability of individuals within government custody, while Dele Giwa’s murder demonstrated how the pursuit of truth could be punished in the most brutal form.
Their stories continue to echo through Nigeria’s democratic transition. They serve as cautionary tales of what happens when justice is delayed, evidence concealed, and truth left to the wind. Both cases remind the nation that transparency is not a privilege, but a duty owed to every citizen.
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Author’s Note
Every generation inherits unanswered questions. The stories of Gloria Okon and Dele Giwa remind us that silence is never neutral, and that truth delayed often becomes history distorted. Their names stand as quiet protests against secrecy, urging future Nigerians to demand transparency where it is withheld and justice where it is denied.
References
Committee to Protect Journalists, “Nigerian Editor Dele Giwa’s Unsolved Murder.”
Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission (Oputa Panel), Volume 4 (1999–2001).
Vanguard News, “Dele Giwa’s Assassination Had Nothing to Do with Gloria Okon – Yakubu Mohammed.” (2025)
