BREAKING: Nigerian Governor Suspends Top Media Aide, Gives Reason

• Mr. Wale Ajetunmobi, the senior special assistant on print media to the Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has been suspended
• Ajetunmobi was suspended following a controversial statement made on his social media page, X account
• The governor’s special adviser on media and publicity, Gboyega Akosile, confirmed in a statement on Tuesday and shared further details

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos state has suspended his senior special assistant on print media, Mr Wale Ajetunmobi.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday, November 26, by the governor’s special adviser on media and publicity, Gboyega Akosile.

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

Speaking further, Akosile noted that the Sanwo-Olu-led administration in Lagos state “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.”

A check by Legit.ng on Ajetunmobi’s X account, #Riddwane, on Tuesday, showed that his timeline was devoid of any such tweet as it had been deleted.

Why was Ajetunmobi suspended?

On Sunday, November 24, 2024, Premium Times reported a tweet by Ajetunmobi, tweeting as #Riddwane, in which he revealed that arsonists who burnt down the Television Continental TVC station in Lagos during the heat of the 2020 #EndSARS protest, had been “hunted down and executed.”

The suspended aide also stated that one of the “executed” arsonists was a young boy (name undisclosed) who traded in cooking gas around the Ketu area of the state.

Ajetunmobi alleged that the boy was found with an AK-47 rifle.

Ajetunmobi tweeted:

“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.

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

Reacting to the tweet, an X user identified as Hamlad, tweeting as #hamoye4real, asked,

“Are you in the know of extra-judicial killings?”

In his response, the suspended aide wrote,

“Lol… you want to create a narrative in your head. What is extra-judicial killing here? Some of the people were chased by soldiers and an exchange of fire occurred. Then arsonists were overpowered and killed in the process. Others ran away. Is that an extra-judicial killing to you?”

However, in a tweet by Ajetunmobi early Tuesday at 2:34 am — two days after the report, and quoting the Premium Times report on his X handle, he clarified that while the word “executed” was “erroneously used,” his tweet was his “personal opinion” and didn’t reflect the stance of his employer or his office.

He also stated that “no extra-judicial killing was insinuated.”

Jigawa governor Namadi suspends aide

In a related development, Legit.ng reported that Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa state suspended his special adviser on salary and pensions, Bashir Ado, over an alleged premature statement on N70,000 minimum wage.

The government said it viewed with serious concern, an incorrect statement circulating in various sections of the media alleging that Governor Namadi has approved N70,000 as a new minimum wage for workers in the state.

The secretary to the Jigawa state government further announced the setting up of a five-man committee to investigate the motive behind the controversial announcement.

Proofread by Kola Muhammed, journalist and copyeditor at Legit.ng