Journalist, Reuben Abati and his colleagues at Arise TV have openly dared former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, after he rudely told a TVC presenter to ‘shut up’ during a live television interview, sparking massive reactions across the media space.
Gistreel recalls that Babachir Lawal appeared on TVC News for an interview last night, which quickly went viral due to his controversial manner of addressing the interviewer. Lawal, who was being asked about his opinions on the 2023 and 2019 elections, unexpectedly interrupted the interviewer and bluntly told him to “shut up,” before proceeding to deliver his points without interruption. This bold and disrespectful comment has since stirred heated debates online and offline, with many condemning his choice of words as unprofessional and disrespectful to journalists.
Reuben Abati.
Following the incident, Reuben Abati, alongside his co-anchors such as Rufai Oseni and Ayo Mairo-Ese on Arise TV’s popular morning show, reacted strongly. They criticized Lawal’s behavior, describing it as highly unbecoming of a former high-ranking public official. They emphasized that such conduct undermines journalistic freedom and sets a dangerous precedent for political discourse in the country.
Reuben Abati took it a step further by daring Babachir Lawal to come to Arise TV and attempt a similar outburst. He boldly declared that such behavior would not be tolerated on their platform and that Lawal would face serious consequences if he tried it.
Babachir Lawal.
Abati’s words were clear and firm: “Let Babachir Lawal come here and try it. And try to say ‘shut up’ — the kind of flogging that he will receive. In fact, he will not be able to sleep that night.” His statement sparked laughter among his co-anchors but also sent a strong message that Arise TV would not tolerate any form of verbal intimidation or bullying of its journalists.
The incident has since triggered a wave of reactions from viewers and social media users. Many praised Reuben Abati and his colleagues for standing up for professionalism and defending the dignity of journalism.
Check out reactions that followed …
yomisrael said: “Bachir Lawal, the grass cutter. It’s a shame and I can’t imagine how he treats people working under him.”
michael._u wrote: “Reuben wey carry respect for head? Even if e go lead to fight, he no go gree accept that kind talk.😄”
adelakuntufayl stated: “What do you expect from them? A good number of them gets carried away by the ephemeral of the office.”
dona.ld4010 remarked: “That so called SGF is extremely uncouth.”
Watch video below …