Segun O’Law, the Media CEO of Objectv Media, addressed a press conference at the International Press Centre in Lagos, accusing Nigeria’s Minister of Works, Engr. David Nweze Umahi, of issuing direct threats against him in an attempt to suppress reporting on controversial land disputes.
O’Law, who operates several digital news platforms, revealed that he received a threatening message from a phone number verified to belong to the Minister on March 8, 2026.
According to O’Law, the Minister demanded a public apology for the sharing of a recorded conversation between the two.
“You came to my office and secretly videoed our conversations and shared,” the message attributed to the Minister read. “I thought that by now, you would have repented and publicly apologised to me. You have not done that. I still give you opportunities to do so on my terms, but if you don’t, then.”
The tension stems from a meeting in August 2025, where O’Law served as an observer during a delegation’s visit to the Minister’s office to discuss the realignment of the Lagos-Calabar coastal road.
The protest had been triggered by claims that the realignment unfairly displaced local developments, including the WinHomes Estate.
O’Law alleges that during this private meeting, the Minister made disparaging remarks about the estate’s owner and boasted of his own influence.
“The Minister’s first utterances were to brag: ‘I’m a dangerous man’,” O’Law told reporters.
He claims the Minister subsequently admitted to using his office to target the WinHomes CEO, Mrs Stella Ukengu, after she challenged his valuation of her property.
O’Law stated he captured the meeting on a discreet recording device, fearing that journalists’ equipment might be destroyed or seized amidst the protests.
He later shared that footage with the affected party to verify conflicting accounts of the meeting.
O’Law expressed grave concerns for his personal safety, citing the Minister’s reputation and previous reports regarding the treatment of individuals who have crossed him.
He pointed to the unexplained disappearance and subsequent release of a site worker named Obanla, which he claims was resolved only after the Minister issued orders during the same meeting in his office.
“I have received intelligence advising me to immediately break my SIM and change my device because my lines and device were likely being tracked,” O’Law stated.
The media executive insisted that his actions were motivated by a professional duty to hold public officials accountable for conflicting statements.
“As a journalist, my responsibility is to document facts and expose the truth, particularly when public officials contradict themselves,” he said.
Concluding the briefing, O’Law issued a stark statement regarding his own well-being.
“As of today, 12 March 2026, I am in good health. I have no suicidal thoughts,” O’Law said, urging the public and international human rights bodies to monitor his safety. “If anything happens to me, please look no further, Engr. David Nweze Umahi, the Minister of Works, who has declared himself ‘a dangerous man,’ should be held responsible.”
O’Law stated he has officially notified the U.S. Embassy, the British High Commission, the National Human Rights Commission, and several press freedom advocacy groups.
Following the briefing, O’Law pledged to publish the remainder of the recorded footage to provide the public with full transparency regarding the Minister’s promises and subsequent public denials. #Securitynewsalert.com
