Amnesty International has criticised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over what it described as a reckless and violent comment allegedly made against a journalist during a live television interview.
The rights group made its position known in a post on its official X account on Saturday, stating that Wike’s statement was dangerous and could encourage attacks on journalists.
According to Amnesty, Wike reportedly said, “If there’s any way to broke (sic) the screen, I would have shot him…” — a remark the organisation said raises serious concerns about safety and press freedom in Nigeria.
Amnesty International described the comment as reckless and violent language.The group warned that such statements from a senior government official could normalise violence against media practitioners.It added that the remark carries the danger of normalising violence and encouraging the targeting of journalists merely for doing their job.
The organisation further stated that the comment violated Nigeria’s broadcasting rules, which are designed to guide conduct on air, and said the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission should be enforcing such standards.
According to Amnesty, the statement was unlawful and unacceptable, particularly coming from a member of the federal cabinet.The group called on Wike to withdraw the statement and apologise, insisting that public officials must exercise caution with their words.
“Mr Wike must withdraw his violent statement immediately and apologise,” the organisation said.
