06/04/2026
“Live on Air, Laws on Mute”....................................... ....
It was one of those late evenings when the world feels a little quieter, and I—against my better judgment—decided to unwind with the late-night news. Not exactly my go-to these days, considering it’s often a parade of heavy, heart-wrenching stories that seem to weigh most on ordinary Nigerians. Still, I tuned in(.
And then, right on cue—as if following a script—came a moment that disrupted my small peace weh I just deh manage.
There it was: a serving minister, live on television, in the middle of an interview, casually tossing out a threat to shoot a respected journalist and talk show host, Seun Okinbaloye. His offense? Simply doing his job—asking questions, expressing views, exercising the very right to free speech that should be protected, not punished. The backdrop? A tense conversation around what many see as a creeping attempt to steer the country toward a one-party system.
Now pause for a second.
How did we get here? At what point did this level of recklessness—this open disregard for the rule of law—become something we’re expected to just watch, shake our heads at, and move on from?
Because here’s the thing: moments like this don’t exist in isolation. When a public official can make such a statement, so boldly, so publicly, and seemingly without consequence, it sends a message. A dangerous one. It tells others in positions of power that lines can be crossed without fear, that accountability is optional, that the rules might just be… flexible.
And it makes you wonder—where exactly are the laws that are meant to protect free speech? The same laws that should hold offenders accountable, no matter their title or office? Or are those rules reserved strictly for the “common man,” while others operate above them?
In a system that works—a system that respects itself—incidents like this aren’t brushed aside or quietly forgotten. They’re addressed. Investigated. Corrected. Not out of convenience, but out of necessity, to ensure they don’t happen again.
But then the real question hits:
Na who go enforce and make sure this type of ugly scene doesn't play out again?
At that point, I just tire.
M.V
