Sanwo-Olu Suspends Media Aide Ajetunmobi Over Misrepresentation of Facts

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has suspended his Senior Special Assistant on Print Media, Wale Ajetunmobi, following a controversial tweet.

In the post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Ajetunmobi claimed that individuals who set fire to the Television Continental (TVC) headquarters during the #EndSARS protests in 2020 were “hunted and executed.”

This comment sparked outrage, particularly amid ongoing allegations of extrajudicial killings during the protests.

The Lagos State Judicial Panel on #EndSARS and police brutality previously indicted Sanwo-Olu and the Nigerian Army for their roles in the intervention at the Lekki Toll Gate on October 20, 2020.

However, the state government has rejected the panel’s findings, dismissing the report.

Four years after the incident, Ajetunmobi stated on X that most of the individuals involved in burning down the TVC head office had been “hunted and executed.”

“The full story of people who burnt down TVC in 2020 will be told one day, with gory clips and images. One thing to note: majority of them have been hunted down and executed.

“One of them, a young boy trading in cooking gas around Ketu, was found with AK-47 at the site. Even his neighbours were shocked. But the full gist is better saved for later,” he wrote.

When a user asked Ajetunmobi to clarify his post on the alleged extra-judicial killings, he responded: “Lol… you want to create a narrative in your head. What is extrajudicial killing here? Some of the people were chased by soldiers and exchange of fire occurred. Then arsonists were overpowered and killed in the process. Others ran away. Is that an extra-judicial killing to you?”

His posts were quickly removed, but screenshots were captured, leading Nigerians to demand an explanation from him.

In response, Sanwo-Olu announced the suspension of Ajetunmobi as his media aide for “misinterpreting facts.”

The Governor wishes to state categorically that his administration frowns at any form of extrajudicial punishment and will not be a part of any such action.

“That is not who we are. That is not our way,” Gboyega Akosile, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, said on Tuesday, Nov. 26, in a statement announcing Ajetunmobi’s suspension.