Sanwo-Olu fires aide who said TVC arsonists were ‘hunted down and executed’

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

The post alleges that some people were involved in the arson of Television Continental (TVC) in 2020. #EndSARS protests “they were hunted down and executed.”

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

Sanwo-Olu emphasized his government’s determination to uphold the rule of law, distancing his administration from any form of extrajudicial killings.

“The Governor wishes to state categorically that his administration does not condone any form of extrajudicial punishment and will not be part of such action. This is not who we are. This is not our way,” he added in the statement.

Controversial post sparked anger

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

“The full story of the people who burned the TVC in 2020 will one day be told through bloody clips and images. There is one point to note: the majority of them were caught and executed,” Ajetunmobi wrote.

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

The post attracted great reaction, with many users accusing the government of extrajudicial killings.

Ajetunmobi’s defense

In response to criticism, Ajetunmobi attempted to clarify his statement, claiming that the alleged executions occurred during a gunfight between soldiers and arsonists.

“What is extrajudicial execution here? Some of the people were chased by the soldiers and they opened fire. The arsonists were later neutralized and killed in the process. Others escaped. Is this extrajudicial killing for you? replied to an X user.

However, the news contradicts his claims. There was no documented conflict during the arson attack at TVC on October 21, 2020.

The most notable clash involving soldiers occurred the day before at the Lekki Toll Gate; where the Lagos State Judicial Investigation Panel 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 enraged by the incident and instructed Ajetunmobi to delete the post immediately, to which he complied. He was later suspended from office by the governor.

“Mr. Ajetunmobi’s suspension followed a misrepresentation of facts on his personal “X” account regarding a past incident.

“The Governor wishes to state categorically that his administration does not condone any form of extrajudicial punishment and will not be part of such action. This is not who we are. This is not our way,” the state government said in a statement on Tuesday.