FCT minister Nyesom Wike on Thursday said the publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, is lucky to have called President Bola Tinubu a “criminal” without consequences.

At the flag-off of a road project in Wuye District, Abuja, on Thursday, Mr Wike said Mr Sowore did not suffer the consequences because the president believes in the rule of law.

Although Mr Wike did not specifically name anyone, his remarks came weeks after Mr Sowore, in an X post on August 25, called Mr Tinubu a “criminal” for stating that there is no more corruption in Nigeria.

“This is a country where somebody on social media will say Mr President is a criminal; nothing will happen. You say all kinds of things you want to say, but nothing will happen,” Mr Wike said.

Comparing Nigeria to America, Mr Wike said, “No matter how you see people criticise Trump, have you ever seen any American citizen on social media, or in public, say, ‘Our president is a criminal’? Have you heard that?”

The minister added, “But here, anybody can wake up in the morning and abuse the president, and we are happy. You are lucky you have a president who believes in the rule of law. You are lucky. Continue to be lucky. There are those you will meet that you won’t be lucky again.”

Mr Sowore’s criticism of the president had prompted the State Security Service to contact Meta and X, requesting that his post be taken down. The SSS also filed a lawsuit against Mr Sowore, who has insisted that he would not pull down the post.

Reacting to Mr Wike’s statement on X on Thursday, Mr Sowore called him a land grabber and murderer.

“I heard that the FCT’s drunkard–murderer -landgrabber-thief Minister, @GovWike Ezenwo Wike, said Bola Ahmed Tinubu @officialABAT should have assassinated me for calling him #TinubuisAcriminal,” Mr Sowore said.

He added, “If Nigerians weren’t so docile, complacent, and cowardly, criminals, thieves, and murderers like @GovWike would never have any leadership roles in this country. SAD! Wike stole land in Abuja, Wike robbed the people of Rivers State, and Wike massacred Igbos at Obigbo. Wike should be in the Hague at the International Criminal Court.”