Justice Inyang Ekwo of Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, has ordered the Federal Government to re-open the investigation and prosecution of those who were involved in the murder of the founder of Newswatch Magazine, Dele Giwa, in 1986.
The judge equally ordered the restart of the investigation into unresolved cases of extrajudicial killing of other journalists in the country.
It specifically directed the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to begin the investigation process.
According to the court, the AGF, being the Chief Law Officer, is under obligation to prosecute those who were linked to the deaths of both Dele Giwa and other media practitioners in the country.
It will be recalled that Dele Giwa died from a letter bomb that was delivered to his Lagos office on October 19, 1986.
The order of the court on Friday followed a suit that was brought before it by the Incorporated Trustees of Media Rights Agenda, MRA.
The organisation had approached the court for the enforcement of fundamental rights of media practitioners to safety as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution, as amended,as well as the African Charter on Human & Peoples Rights.
The AGF was cited as the sole defendant in the matter.
In his judgement, Justice Ekwo directed FG to ensure adequate protection and safety of lives of journalists in the country, in line with the provisions of sections 33, and 39 of the Constitution and Articles 4 and 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.
