In a new memoir titled Beyond Expectations, Newswatch founding editor Yakubu Mohammed has finally broken his silence on long-standing conspiracy theories linking the assassination of his colleague, Dele Giwa, to the mysterious case of Gloria Okon.
Giwa, then editor-in-chief of Newswatch, was killed on October 19, 1986, by a parcel bomb delivered to his Lagos residence. Since his death, speculation has persisted that Giwa had been investigating the alleged death—or secret release—of Gloria Okon, a young woman arrested in Kano on drug-smuggling charges. Rumors claimed that Okon either died in custody or was secretly flown abroad because of her alleged links to then–military president Ibrahim Babangida (IBB) and his wife, Maryam. Some even alleged that Giwa was on the verge of exposing this before he was silenced.
In Beyond Expectations, Mohammed dismisses those theories as a “hoax” that distracted the public and obstructed a proper investigation into Giwa’s killing. He insists that neither he, Giwa, nor other Newswatch editors such as Ray Ekpu and Dan Agbese ever pursued a story on Gloria Okon.
According to him, the issue came up only once when a junior reporter suggested it during an editorial meeting. The reporter was asked to investigate further but returned with nothing concrete, and the matter was dropped entirely.
Mohammed also refutes claims that Giwa traveled to London to meet Okon. He explained that he himself accompanied Giwa on the London trip, and no such meeting ever took place. “Nobody ever heard of Gloria Okon,” he emphasized.
The veteran journalist laments that such unfounded claims not only distorted the public narrative but also “prevented a proper investigation of the gruesome incident.” Nearly 39 years later, Giwa’s assassination remains unsolved, overshadowed by conspiracy theories that, in Mohammed’s view, diverted attention from the real issues.
The three biggest revelations from Yakubu Mohammed’s memoir
- No Gloria Okon Story at Newswatch: Yakubu Mohammed insists that neither Dele Giwa nor the Newswatch team pursued any investigative story on Gloria Okon. The idea came only from a junior reporter, who later found nothing and dropped it.
- The London trip rumour is false: Mohammed reveals he personally traveled with Giwa to London. At no point did Giwa meet Gloria Okon or discuss her case, debunking the long-circulated rumor.
- Conspiracy theories blocked justice: He laments that the Gloria Okon narrative distracted Nigerians and investigators, preventing a thorough probe into Giwa’s 1986 assassination. “Nobody ever heard of Gloria Okon,” he stressed.
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