Sanwo-Olu Suspends Media Aide Over #EndSARS Arson Remarks

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has suspended his Senior Special Assistant on Print Media, Wale Ajetunmobi, following a contentious social media post. Ajetunmobi’s comments, which were shared on X (formerly Twitter) on November 23, sparked outrage and raised concerns about the possibility of extra-judicial killings.

In his now-deleted post, Ajetunmobi claimed that many of the individuals responsible for setting fire to the Television Continental (TVC) building in Lagos in 2020 had been “hunted down and executed.” He further elaborated, suggesting that some of these people were involved in violent acts, including the possession of AK-47 rifles.

“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,” Ajetunmobi wrote. “One of them, a young boy trading in cooking gas around Ketu, was found with an AK-47 at the site. Even his neighbors were shocked.”

The post, which Ajetunmobi made while responding to comments on a recent statement by former presidential aide Reuben Abati, quickly drew attention on social media.

When questioned by a user (@hamoye4real) about the reference to “hunted down and executed,” Ajetunmobi defended his statement, suggesting that soldiers had pursued and engaged the individuals involved in the 2020 arson, and some were killed during an exchange of fire. “What is extrajudicial killing here? Some of the people were chased by soldiers and an exchange of fire occurred. Arsonists were overpowered and killed in the process. Others ran away,” he replied.

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However, the comments were met with backlash, with many accusing Ajetunmobi of endorsing or justifying extrajudicial killings, a practice condemned by both national and international human rights organizations.

On Tuesday, November 26, Gboyega Akosile, the media aide to Governor Sanwo-Olu, issued a statement confirming Ajetunmobi’s suspension. The statement clarified the governor’s position on extra-judicial punishments, emphasizing that the Lagos government does not condone such actions.

“Mr. Ajetunmobi’s suspension comes in the wake of his misrepresentation of facts on his personal X account concerning a past incident,” the statement said. “The Governor wishes to categorically state that his administration condemns extra-judicial punishment and will never support such actions. That is not who we are. That is not our way.”