A Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lere Olayinka, has clarified remarks made by the Minister, Nyesom Wike, during a recent media chat, stressing that they were not intended as a threat.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Olayinka explained that the Minister’s comment concerning Channels Television anchor, Seun Okinbaloye, was made in a figurative and hyperbolic context, not a literal one.

According to him, Wike did not mean he would harm the journalist, adding that both men had since spoken and resolved any misunderstanding.

“The Minister never meant that he would shoot Seun Okinbaloye. They even spoke on phone today, and he understood what the Minister meant,” Olayinka said.

He noted that Wike’s remarks were borne out of frustration, as he believed the journalist, whom he holds in high regard, appeared to have taken a partisan stance rather than maintaining neutrality as an interviewer.

Olayinka further explained that the comment was an exaggeration used to emphasize a point, adding that the Minister had already clarified this during the live television programme.

He also pointed out that other journalists present during the interview, including Channels Television’s Abuja Bureau Chief, Chamberlain Uzor, understood the context of the remark and reacted with laughter at the time.

The aide warned against what he described as attempts to misrepresent the statement for political purposes, urging the public to disregard any interpretation that suggests otherwise.

“The public is urged to discountenance the use of the comment as an instrument of blackmail or propaganda by individuals or groups seeking to distort facts for political gain,” he added.