Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has said he did not threaten to kill Seun Okinbaloye, a journalist with Channels Television, during a recent media interview.
Wike said his remark was figurative and had been misinterpreted.
On Friday, during a media chat, Wike said he was infuriated d by Okinbaloye’s take on the trajectory of the country’s democracy while watching “Politics Today”, a Channels Television programme.
“If there was any way to break the screen, I would have shot him,” Wike had said.
He had quickly clarified to the journalists present that his brief monologue did not literally translate to pulling the trigger on Okinbaloye.
On Saturday, Lere Olayinka, senior special assistant on public communications to Wike, said his principal’s comment on Okinbaloye was “hyperbolic” and had been taken out of context by propagandists.
Speaking on Tuesday on the issue, Wike reiterated that he never meant to kill the journalist with his comment.
“You can imagine what happened in our media chat; people just capitalise on things, even when I explained there that, look, I didn’t say I would kill him,” Wike said.
“All I was trying to explain, figuratively… I was wondering, how can you descend so low? You’re an interviewer… you’re no longer interviewing your guests; you’re now saying this is what is going on; it’s not fair.
“I mean, people will capitalise on everything; those who I have defeated severally,” he said.
