Sanwo-Olu suspends media aide for saying #EndSARS arsonists were ‘hunted, executed’

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, has suspended Wale Ajetunmobi, his senior special assistant on print media, over his social media comments. 

In a now deleted post published via X on November 23, Ajetunmobi said a number of those who burnt Television Continental (TVC) in 2020 were “hunted down 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,” he wrote.

“One of them, a young boy trading in cooking gas around Ketu, was found with AK-47 at the site. Even his neighbours were shocked. But the full gist is better saved for later.”

Ajetunmobi made the comments while responding to a post on the recent remarks by Reuben Abati, a former presidential aide.

X user @hamoye4real had asked Ajetunmobi to clarify the nature of the killing he was referencing.

“What do you mean by ‘hunted down and executed’? Are you in the know of extra-judicial killings?,” the X user asked.

Ajetunmobi replied with: “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?”

LAGOS REACTS

In a statement on Tuesday, Gboyega Akosile, media aide to Sanwo-Olu, said the state government frowns at extra-judicial punishment and will never toe that line.

“Mr. Ajetunmobi’s suspension comes on the heels of the misrepresentation of facts on his personal ‘X’ account on a past incident,” the statement reads.

“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.”

PROTESTS AGAINST POLICE BRUTALITY

In October 2020, young Nigerians protested against brutality from the special anti-robbery squad (SARS) — a rogue police unit.

On October 20, 2020, security operatives fired live rounds into a crowd of unarmed youths who had converged on the Lekki tollgate area of Lagos.

On October 21, 2020, suspected hoodlums attacked TVC headquarters in Lagos and torched the broadcasting station.

The alleged miscreants also attacked several police stations and other public and private properties as violence escalated in the wake of the tollgate shooting.

Security operatives reportedly killed many protesters during the #EndSARS protest in Lagos.

In August 2023, a letter indicating that the Lagos state government approved the sum of N61,285,000 for the “mass burial” of 103 people who died during the #EndSARS protests in the state, found its way to social media.

The Lagos government had said the bodies were not from the Lekki tollgate.