Sanwo-Olu suspends aide who said TVC arsonists were “hunted and executed”

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor of Lagos State, has suspended Wale Ajetunmobi, his senior special assistant on print media, following a controversial post on his personal X account.

The post suggested that some individuals involved in the arson of Television Continental (TVC) during the 2020 #EndSARS protests were “hunted and executed.”

The suspension was announced on Tuesday in a statement by Gbenga Akosile, the governor’s special adviser on media and publicity.

Sanwo-Olu distanced his administration from any form of extrajudicial killings, emphasising his government’s commitment to upholding the rule of law.

“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,” the statement added.

Controversial post sparks outrage

In now-deleted post on his X account, Ajetunmobi claimed that most of the arsonists who attacked TVC during the #EndSARS protests had been “hunted and executed.”

“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 in the post.

He further alleged that one of the arsonists, described as a young boy selling cooking gas in Ketu, was found with an AK-47 rifle.

The post generated a lot of reaction as many users accused the government of extra-judicial killing.

Ajetunmobi’s defense

In response to criticism, Ajetunmobi attempted to clarify his statement, claiming the alleged executions occurred during an exchange of gunfire between soldiers and the arsonists.

“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 to an X user.

However, reports contradict his claims. There was no documented exchange of fire during the October 21, 2020 arson at TVC.

The most notable confrontation involving soldiers occurred a day earlier at the Lekki Toll Gate, where the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry reported that live ammunition was fired at unarmed protesters, resulting in at least 46 casualties, including deaths and injuries.

Governor’s response

Sources close to the governor revealed that Sanwo-Olu was angered by the incident and instructed Ajetunmobi to delete the post immediately, which he complied with. He was then suspended by the governor.

“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,” the state government said in a statement on Tuesday.