PATTERN OF VIOLENCE: Resurfaced 2016 tape shows Wike threatening to kill INEC official

A 2016 audio recording allegedly featuring Nyesom Wike threatening to kill a recalcitrant electoral officer has resurfaced following public outrage over the FCT Minister’s recent “shoot” remark directed at a Channels TV anchor.

The controversy surrounding Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike has intensified following the resurfacing of a 2016 audio recording in which he allegedly threatened to kill an electoral official. The leak, originally published by SaharaReporters during Wike’s tenure as Governor of Rivers State, has gained renewed traction on social media as critics argue his recent threat to “shoot” Channels TV’s Seun Okinbaloye is part of a long-standing pattern of intimidation. In the decade-old recording, Wike was purportedly caught arranging payments to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials to influence legislative elections, reacting with fury when informed that an officer from Plateau State was reluctant to sign result sheets despite the alleged bribe. “Don’t worry, I will call the Plateau man now. I will tell him, if he does not return my this thing, I will deal with you,” Wike was heard saying in the recording.

The audio further captures a series of chilling directives allegedly issued by the then-Governor to political intermediaries and thugs. When an associate suggested simply ensuring the official signed the documents, Wike insisted on more drastic measures, stating, “No, if it is that one, he should return whatever… I’m going to make sure that I kill him in this state. Just don’t worry.” He was also recorded instructing an operative identified as Owoh to convey a lethal warning to the coordinators. “In fact, call the three coordinators, that I said they should tell their people. If they want to joke with me, disturb me, I will kill them in this place before they leave, or they should return what I gave or I will kill them,” the Minister reportedly added in the leaked clips.

Civil society organizations and media rights groups have pointed to this archival evidence to challenge the Minister’s recent claims that his remarks about Okinbaloye were merely “expressions of frustration” rather than literal threats. While Wike’s supporters maintain that his language is often hyperbolic and characteristic of his “tough-talking” political style, the 2016 tapes suggest a more specific history of utilizing violent rhetoric in the heat of political and professional disputes. The resurgence of these allegations comes at a sensitive time for the administration, as the FCT Minister continues to dominate headlines over his fractured relationship with the press and his vocal stance on Nigeria’s evolving political landscape ahead of 2027.

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