Sanwo-Olu suspends media aide for saying #EndSARS arsonists executed

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has suspended his senior special assistant on print media, Wale Ajetunmobi, for his remark about the perpetrators of the arson on Television Continental (TVC) during the #EndSARS protest in 2020.

A report by QEDNG quoted Mr Ajetunmobi to have said, in a post on X, that the majority of the arsonists have been “hunted and executed.”

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He claimed soldiers executed the alleged arsonists.

“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,” he wrote.

An X user @hamoye4real asked Ajetunmobi to clarify his post, especially where he referred to killings.

“Are you in the know of extra-judicial killings?” he asked.

In response, Ajetunmobi said some of the arsonists were overpowered by soldiers and ⁹killed during an exchange of gunfire.

“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?” he replied.

But there were no reports of exchange of gunfire on October 21, 2020, the day a part of TVC was burnt.

Announcing the aide’s suspension, Sanwo-Olu’s special adviser on media and publicity Gboyega Akosile said in a brief statement on Tuesday: “Mr. Ajetunmobi’s suspension comes on the heels of the misrepresentation of facts on his personal “X” account on a past incident.

“The Governor wishes to state categorically that his 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.”