Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has suspended his Senior Special Assistant on Print Media, Mr Wale Ajetunmobi, following a controversial post on his personal X account.
The suspension was confirmed in a statement issued by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, on Tuesday, November 26. The statement, titled ‘Governor Sanwo-Olu suspends aide,’ highlighted that the suspension followed Ajetunmobi’s misrepresentation of facts related to a past incident on his social media account.
Ajetunmobi’s suspension stems from a tweet in which he claimed that arsonists responsible for burning down the Television Continental (TVC) station during the 2020 #EndSARS protests had been “hunted down and executed.”
In response to inquiries about extra-judicial killings, Ajetunmobi initially defended his tweet, stating that some of the arsonists were killed during a confrontation with soldiers. He suggested that this was not an instance of extra-judicial killing, but rather a legitimate exchange of fire.
However, following public backlash and a request for clarification, Ajetunmobi issued a statement early Tuesday morning, apologising for his choice of words.
He explained that the term “executed” had been “erroneously used” and clarified that his comments were purely his personal opinion, not reflective of the stance of the Lagos State Government or his office.
The Governor’s office expressed disapproval of any form of extra-judicial punishment, emphasising that such actions are not part of the state’s governance principles. “The Sanwo-Olu-led administration frowns at any form of extra-judicial punishment and will not be a part of any such action. That is not who we are. That is not our way,” said Akosile in the statement.
Ajetunmobi’s tweet had initially drawn significant attention, with one user questioning whether he was advocating for extra-judicial killings. Ajetunmobi responded dismissively, but later sought to clarify his position, removing the offending posts from his timeline.
The controversy traces back to the 2020 #EndSARS protests, during which TVC’s facilities in Ketu were set on fire. The station’s CEO, Mr Andrew Hanlon, had previously confirmed the extent of the damage, which left over 250 staff unable to work due to the destruction of key equipment and production areas.
Governor Sanwo-Olu had visited TVC shortly after the incident, pledging support for the affected staff and highlighting the impact of the arson on the station’s operations.
The suspension of Ajetunmobi has raised questions about social media conduct among public officials, with many emphasising the importance of accountability in the digital age.
