Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has announced the suspension of his Senior Special Assistant on Print Media, Mr. Wale Ajetunmobi, following controversial remarks made on social media.
The decision was revealed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile.
Titled “Governor Sanwo-Olu Suspends Aide,” the statement explained that Ajetunmobi’s suspension stemmed from his misrepresentation of facts on his personal X account regarding a past incident.
Akosile emphasised that the Sanwo-Olu administration strongly condemns any form of extrajudicial punishment and reiterated that such actions are inconsistent with the values of the government.
The controversy erupted after Ajetunmobi, tweeting under the handle #Riddwane, claimed that individuals responsible for the 2020 arson attack on Television Continental (TVC) during the #EndSARS protests had been “hunted down and executed.”
He also alleged that one of the individuals, a young man who traded cooking gas in the Ketu area, was among those “executed” and was found in possession of an AK-47 rifle.
The statements made by Ajetunmobi prompted widespread backlash and led to his suspension as the governor moves to distance his administration from any actions that contradict its commitment to justice and fairness.
The tweet read, “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 an AK-47 at the site. Even his neighbours were shocked. But the full gist is better saved for later.”
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In response to Ajetunmobi’s tweet, an X user named Hamlad, with the handle #hamoye4real, questioned, “Are you aware of extra-judicial killings?”
The suspended aide replied, “Lol… you’re trying to create a narrative. What extra-judicial killing are you talking about? Some of the individuals were chased by soldiers, and during the exchange of fire, some arsonists were overpowered and killed.
The others fled. Is that extra-judicial killing to you?”
However, early on Tuesday at 2:34 am, two days after the original report, Ajetunmobi issued a clarification via another tweet.
Quoting the Premium Times article, he acknowledged that the term “executed” had been “erroneously used” and stated that his tweet was his “personal opinion” and did not reflect the position of his office or employer.
He also emphasized that “no extra-judicial killing was implied.”
The tweet read, “My only and final response to this misrepresentation…
“This excerpt was quoted out of context and there were series of comments made under the same post, which better explained what was intended. Like I did further explained under the said tweet, no extra-judicial killing was insinuated. The word ‘executed’ was erroneously used and not intended in the context of that casual conversation.
“What was written in the entire conversation reflected personal opinion, and not the position of any authority or the entity in which I work. The post and other comments had been taken down, even before this publication.”
