Wike’s spokesperson Lere Olayinka threatens journalist for exposing water scarcity in FCT

A lawyer and journalist, Adesuwa Giwa-Osagie, has cried out , calling out Lere Olayinka, Special Assistant on Media to Nyesome Wike, FCT minister for threatening her for her story on water scarcity in Abuja.

She raised concerns about possible intimidation after receiving a message from Lere Olayinka, following her report on water scarcity in Abuja.

In a video that went viral on Tuesday evening, Giwa-Osagie shared the message allegedly sent to her by Olayinka.

According to her, the message read: “If you are asked to come and substantiate your claims now, human rice and beans (referring to human rights activists) will start making noise.”

Reacting to the message, the journalist questioned whether it was meant as a threat or an attempt to intimidate her over her reporting.

“Following my report on water scarcity in Abuja, the Minister Wike’s aide, Lere Olayinka, his spokesperson and Senior Special Assistant on Media, sent me a message which I will post here,” she said in the video.

“Is this a threat? Is this intimidation? Is this undue influence? I’m bringing this out to the public so you can all decide. I’m not sure if it’s a mockery of our human rights.”

Giwa-Osagie also cited provisions of the Nigerian Constitution protecting freedom of expression and press freedom.

“Section 39(1) and Section 39(2) of the Constitution enshrine both my freedom of speech and freedom of the press. It is my duty to both inform the public and scrutinise the government,” she said.

The journalist maintained that the issues she raised in her report were already in the public domain.

According to her, the General Manager of the Abuja water treatment plant, Daniel Salka, had in October last year spoken about a shortage of chemicals needed to treat water.

She also referenced a January publication by Aliyu Abdullahi, warning that water scarcity was imminent if authorities failed to address mechanical faults, chemical shortages, and the diversion of water meant for treatment plants.

Giwa-Osagie further cited an earlier report by an online paper on January 30, alleging that water meant for treatment plants was being diverted by SCC Nigeria Limited to Jordan Farms in Ushafa, a property purportedly linked to the FCT minister’s son, Jordan Wike.

According to the journalist, residents of Ushafa and Bwari had also reached out to her complaining about severe shortages of electricity and water in their communities.

“I also received messages from people who reside in Ushafa and Bwari asking me to speak about this and telling me about the fact that they didn’t have light (power supply) and water,” she said.

“Someone said he hadn’t bathed for days, but he could see electricity and water going to this farm.”

She also referred to a July 2025 investigation by People’s Gazette alleging that several land allocations made by the FCT minister were linked to his family members and associates.

Giwa-Osagie said she verified some of the companies mentioned in the report through the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) database and discovered that some shared similar directors.

“Directors appear on multiple company lists, including a member of the House of Representatives who is a former aide to the minister,” she said.

The journalist stressed that she does not take such messages lightly, particularly given what she described as increasing pressure on investigative journalists in Nigeria.

“At least 160 journalists have been arrested and detained in the past two years, including Daniel Ojukwu, for doing investigative journalism,” she said.

She insisted that if the minister’s office disputes her claims, it should respond publicly rather than through private messages.

“If the aim is to counter the information, they should publicly issue a statement or counter the claims openly,” Giwa-Osagie said.

“I’m bringing this to the public so you understand what actually happens behind the scenes when I speak about some of these topics. It’s not all rosy over here, but we will continue.”