FCT Minister Nyesom Wike has sparked outrage after stating he would have “shot” Channels TV anchor Seun Okinbaloye over his line of questioning, a remark the minister later clarified was an expression of professional frustration rather than a literal threat.
“I was surprised that yesterday watching Seun. Assuming I can open the screen I would have shot him. He was talking like he already picked a side, that is not journalism.”
— Nyesom Wike Berates Seun Okin pic.twitter.com/BPWUhETNaH
— Trending Explained (@TrendingEx) April 3, 2026
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has stirred significant national controversy following remarks made during his monthly media chat on Friday, April 3, 2026. Expressing intense dissatisfaction with a recent broadcast of Politics Today, Wike targeted the program’s anchor, Seun Okinbaloye, over his handling of discussions regarding a potential one-party state in Nigeria. “In fact, I was surprised yesterday, totally surprised when watching Politics Today. Seun, if there was any way to break the screen, I would have shot him. In fact, it will get to him,” Wike stated. The former Rivers State Governor quickly moved to clarify his statement, insisting that the comment was a figurative expression of anger toward what he deemed “unprofessional conduct” rather than a genuine threat to the journalist’s life.
During the briefing held in his Abuja office, the Minister argued that Nigerian broadcasters frequently overstep their bounds by taking personal positions instead of maintaining neutrality. Comparing local media to international outlets like CNN, Wike claimed that anchors should avoid presenting personal opinions as established facts during live interviews. “I didn’t mean I am going to kill him. What I mean is that as an anchor you shouldn’t be making that kind of statement,” he explained, adding that the trend of journalists “taking positions” undermines the integrity of the profession. He further criticized the narrative surrounding a one-party state, maintaining that such topics should be approached through neutral inquiry rather than leading statements.
The Minister’s comments have surfaced at a time of heightened sensitivity regarding press freedom in Nigeria. Media advocacy groups and international organizations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), have recently documented a spike in harassment and intimidation directed at members of the fourth estate. While Wike maintained that his outburst was strictly about “broadcasting standards,” critics argue that such violent rhetoric from a high-ranking government official contributes to a climate of fear and self-censorship. As of Friday evening, neither Channels TV nor the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) has issued a formal response to the Minister’s latest verbal assault on the media.
Wike is a dangerous to the nascent democray of the nation and I doubt if he is a democrat at all