Wike Says He Did Not Mean He Wanted To Shoot Channels TV’s  Seun Okinbaloye

By Adesina Soyooye

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has said he spoke figuratively and did not mean he would have, or wanted to shoot Channels Television’s Seun Okinbaloye over the Television Anchor’s comment while interviewing a guest.

The Minister had shocked not a few Nigerians when, on Friday, April 3, 2026, during his monthly Media Chat, he said he felt like shooting Okunbaloye over his comments while interviewing a guest which gave the impression that the Journalist was taking sides in a political matter.

Many people reacted to Wike with outrage and asked that he apologises publicly. Some others said he has declared war on the Press, while some more said in more organised and civilised climes, his “careless statement could have cost him his high office.”

But a statement on Saturday by Lere Olayinka,   Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media,  Minister Wike, explained that his Principal spoke figuratively during that Media Chat.

Olayinka insisted that  “the Minister never meant that he will shoot Seun Okinbaloye, and that all was well between the two men.

For proof, Olayinka said: “They (Wike and Okinbaloye)  even spoke on phone today Saturday 4 April 2026, and he (Okinbaloye) understood what the minister meant.”

He went on to explain more. “What the Minister meant, which he made clear during the media chat, was that he was angry seeing Okinbaloye, whom he holds in high esteem as a journalist, descending into the  political arena by speaking as an interested party, instead of an interviewer.

“The statement made by the Minister was in hyperbolic context, which was clearly without intent. It was primarily using exaggeration to make a point.

“Even after the Minister made the clarifications on the live television program, which had Chamberlain Uzor, Head of Channels Television’s Abuja Office as part of the interviewers, all the journalists who were interviewing him just laughed.

“Therefore, after the Minister’s detailed explanations of what he meant, including saying on the live television programme that he didn’t mean that he will carry gun and shoot the television anchor, it will become a clear hatchet job for any individual or group to pick the statement out of context and make any issue out of it.

“The public is, therefore, urged to discountenance the use of the comment as instrument of blackmail and propaganda by those whose intent is to misrepresent facts for their political gains,” Olayinka said.