Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has suspended his Senior Special Assistant on Print Media, Wale Ajetunmobi, over a tweet that misrepresented facts about the 2020 #EndSARS protest.
Ajetunmobi, tweeting as #Riddwane, claimed that arsonists who burnt down the Television Continental station in Lagos during the protest had been “hunted down and executed.”
He also alleged that one of the “executed” arsonists was a young boy who traded in cooking gas around the Ketu area of the state and was found with an AK-47 rifle.
His tweet stated, “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.”
The suspension was announced in a statement released by Gboyega Akosile, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity.
Akosile stated that Ajetunmobi’s suspension was due to the misrepresentation of facts on his personal “X” account on a past incident. “That is not who we are. That is not our way,” Akosile stated.
The Lagos State Government has distanced itself from Ajetunmobi’s claims, with Akosile stating that “that is not who we are. That is not our way. The government has also emphasized that it does not support any form of extra-judicial punishment.
Ajetunmobi’s suspension has sparked mixed reactions, with some calling for further investigation into the claims made by the suspended aide. Others have commended the Lagos State Government for taking swift action against Ajetunmobi.
Read also: Nigeria’s Governor Suspends Commissioner Nabbed for Adultery