On April 4, 2026, a news report said that the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, threatened a journalist during a live TV interview on Arise TV.
Wike was angry at a question the journalist asked.
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He said: “If there was any way to break the screen, I would have shot him.”
Amnesty International, a global group that defends human rights, strongly criticized the minister.
They called his words “reckless and violent.”
They said his statement encourages violence and breaks Nigerian laws and international human rights rules.
The group also said Wike’s words broke Nigeria’s broadcasting code, which the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) is supposed to enforce.
They warned that when a high government official talks like this, it can make violence seem normal and put journalists in danger.
Amnesty International demanded that Wike take back his statement and apologize immediately.
Many people are now asking why the NBC has not taken any action against the minister, even though they often punish TV stations for small mistakes.
This is not the first time Wike has been involved in controversy.
But many say this threat against a journalist is one of the worst actions by a government official against the media.
