{"id":198534,"date":"2026-04-06T18:17:45","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T17:17:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/uncategorized\/nuj-demands-apology-from-wike-over-journalist-threat"},"modified":"2026-04-06T19:26:25","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T18:26:25","slug":"nuj-demands-apology-from-wike-over-journalist-threat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/nuj-demands-apology-from-wike-over-journalist-threat","title":{"rendered":"NUJ Demands Apology from Wike Over Journalist Threat"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Nigeria. <\/strong><\/span>The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, has expressed shock and outrage at the \u201creckless and violent\u201d statement made by Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Minister, Nyesom Wike, against Channels Television journalist, Seun Okinbaloye.<\/p>\n

Wike had during a media chat last week said if it were possible, he could have broken his television screen and shot Okinbaloye, following the journalists comments about the evils of one party system of government.<\/p>\n

NUJ noted that the minister\u2019s statement constitutes a direct and unacceptable attempt to intimidate and silence the press, thereby gravely undermining press freedom and the foundational principles of democracy in Nigeria.<\/p>\n

The union explained it had deliberately delayed issuing a statement on the matter, holding a sincere belief that Wike would, upon reflection, demonstrate immediate remorse and promptly withdraw his dangerous comment.<\/p>\n

However, it said that the regrettable absence of any such retraction or apology strongly suggests that the statement was not a momentary lapse but rather a deliberate and intentional act designed to intimidate.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis calculated silence deepens our concern and reinforces the perception that the threat was intentional,\u201d the NUJ said in a statement signed by Alhassan Yahya Abdullahi National President.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis incendiary comment from a high-ranking government official is not only deeply disturbing but also creates a climate of fear for journalists striving to uphold their professional duties.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt sends a dangerous message that critical reporting will be met with hostility and threats of violence, which is entirely antithetical to the spirit of a free and open society.\u201d<\/p>\n

The NUJ said it unequivocally demands an immediate and unreserved apology from Wike for his \u201creprehensible\u201d remarks.<\/p>\n

\u201cFurthermore, we call upon the Federal Government to swiftly and unequivocally condemn this threat, demonstrating its commitment to protecting journalists and safeguarding the independence of the media.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is imperative that the government takes concrete steps to ensure that journalists can perform their essential role without fear of reprisal or harm.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe urge all media organizations, civil society groups, and advocates for democracy to stand in solidarity against this blatant attack on press freedom.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe safety and security of journalists are paramount to a healthy democracy, and any attempt to stifle their voices must be met with a unified and resolute response,\u201d the statement added.<\/p>\n

For More News And Analysis About Nigeria<\/span> Follow Africa-Press<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Nigeria. The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, has expressed shock and outrage at the \u201creckless and violent\u201d statement made by Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Minister, Nyesom Wike, against Channels Television journalist, Seun Okinbaloye. Wike had during a media chat last week said if it were possible, he could have broken his television screen […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":198533,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,14],"tags":[254],"class_list":["post-198534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-nigeria"],"yoast_head":"\nNUJ Demands Apology from Wike Over Journalist Threat - Nigeria<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, has expressed shock and outrage at the \u201creckless and violent\u201d statement made by F ...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/nuj-demands-apology-from-wike-over-journalist-threat\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"NUJ Demands Apology from Wike Over Journalist Threat\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, has expressed shock and outrage at the \u201creckless and violent\u201d statement made by F ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/nuj-demands-apology-from-wike-over-journalist-threat\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Nigeria\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-06T17:17:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-06T18:26:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/sites\/3\/2026\/04\/sm_1775499945.700846.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"675\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/nuj-demands-apology-from-wike-over-journalist-threat#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/nuj-demands-apology-from-wike-over-journalist-threat\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"NUJ Demands Apology from Wike Over Journalist Threat\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-06T17:17:45+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-06T18:26:25+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/nuj-demands-apology-from-wike-over-journalist-threat\"},\"wordCount\":392,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/nuj-demands-apology-from-wike-over-journalist-threat#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/sites\/3\/2026\/04\/sm_1775499945.700846.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Nigeria\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"Policy\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/nuj-demands-apology-from-wike-over-journalist-threat#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/nuj-demands-apology-from-wike-over-journalist-threat\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/nuj-demands-apology-from-wike-over-journalist-threat\",\"name\":\"NUJ Demands Apology from Wike Over Journalist Threat - 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