Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has taken disciplinary action against his Senior Special Assistant on Print Media, Mr. Wale Ajetunmobi, by suspending him from his duties. The suspension follows a controversial post made by Ajetunmobi on his personal X (formerly Twitter) account, which misrepresented key facts related to the 2020 #EndSARS protests.
The announcement of the suspension was made public in a statement issued by the Governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, on Tuesday. The statement, titled “Governor Sanwo-Olu Suspends Aide,” outlined the reasons for the decision.
According to Akosile, the suspension was prompted by Ajetunmobi’s recent post, in which he shared inaccurate information about an incident involving the destruction of the Television Continental (TVC) station during the 2020 protests. Ajetunmobi’s tweet, which has since been deleted, falsely claimed that the individuals responsible for the arson had been “hunted down and executed.” He also named one of the individuals as a young man from Ketu, alleging he had been found with an AK-47 rifle.
The Governor’s spokesman emphasized that the Sanwo-Olu administration “does not condone any form of extra-judicial punishment” and reiterated the administration’s commitment to upholding the rule of law. The statement further clarified that the views expressed in Ajetunmobi’s social media post did not reflect the official stance of the government.
Following public backlash, Ajetunmobi attempted to clarify his remarks. He deleted the initial tweet and later explained that the term “executed” had been used in error. In a follow-up post, he stated that his comments were meant to reflect his personal opinion, and not the position of the Lagos State Government. He also denied any suggestion of extra-judicial killings, despite the controversial nature of his initial claim.
A review of Ajetunmobi’s X account on Tuesday showed that the tweet in question had been removed, along with several related comments. However, the controversy surrounding the post sparked discussions on social media, with many users questioning whether the media aide had inadvertently promoted a narrative of unlawful killings.
This suspension serves as a reminder of the growing influence of social media and the responsibility that public officials carry when making statements online. The Lagos State Government’s quick action demonstrates its commitment to maintaining transparency and accountability in public discourse.
