By Abigail Philip David
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has suspended his Senior Special Assistant on Print Media, Mr. Wale Ajetunmobi, following a misrepresentation of facts on his personal social media account.
In a statement released on Tuesday by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, it was revealed that Ajetunmobi’s suspension was triggered by a controversial post on his X (formerly Twitter) account. The post, which was later deleted, contained misinformation regarding a past incident.
According to Akosile, the suspension stems from Ajetunmobi’s tweet about the arson attack on the Television Continental (TVC) station during the 2020 #EndSARS protests, in which he claimed that those responsible for the attack had been “hunted down and executed.” Ajetunmobi also alleged that one of the alleged arsonists, a young man from Ketu, had been found with an AK-47 rifle.
The statement emphasized that the Sanwo-Olu administration “frowns at any form of extra-judicial punishment” and stressed that such claims were contrary to the administration’s principles. “That is not who we are. That is not our way,” Akosile added.
Following public outcry and inquiries about possible extra-judicial killings, Ajetunmobi responded in a series of tweets, clarifying that his initial use of the term “executed” was a mistake. He further explained that his post was a personal opinion and did not represent the views of his office or the Governor.
In a tweet posted early Tuesday, Ajetunmobi stated, “The word ‘executed’ was erroneously used and not intended in the context of that casual conversation.” He also reiterated that no extra-judicial killings were insinuated and that the comments had been removed.
The controversial tweet followed a report from Premium Times, which quoted Ajetunmobi’s statement about the arsonists involved in the 2020 attack on TVC. The attack had caused significant damage to the station, disrupting operations and forcing over 250 staff members to work from temporary accommodation.
Governor Sanwo-Olu’s administration has reiterated its commitment to upholding justice and due process.
