Sanwo-Olu Suspends Media Aide Over Comment That #EndSARS Arsonists Were ‘Hunted Down and Executed’

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has suspended his senior special assistant on print media, Wale Ajetunmobi, following controversial comments he made on social media regarding the 2020 #EndSARS protests. Ajetunmobi had claimed in a now-deleted post on X (formerly Twitter) that individuals responsible for burning the Television Continental (TVC) building during the unrest were “hunted down and executed.”

Ajetunmobi’s post, shared on November 23, 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.” He also mentioned a young boy allegedly found with an AK-47 at the scene, describing how his neighbors were shocked.

His comments sparked outrage, with X user @hamoye4real questioning the nature of the killings Ajetunmobi referred to and asking if he was aware of extra-judicial executions. Ajetunmobi responded, denying the implication of extra-judicial killings, asserting that soldiers had engaged in exchanges of fire with the arsonists, leading to casualties, while others fled.

The Lagos State government swiftly distanced itself from Ajetunmobi’s remarks. Gboyega Akosile, the governor’s chief press secretary, issued a statement on Tuesday condemning the comments and emphasizing the government’s stance against extra-judicial punishment. “Mr. Ajetunmobi’s suspension comes on the heels of the misrepresentation of facts on his personal ‘X’ account on a past incident. 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,” the statement read.

The controversy has reignited discussions around the events of the 2020 #EndSARS protests, a movement sparked by nationwide outrage against police brutality, particularly by the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). The protests culminated in the tragic Lekki tollgate incident on October 20, 2020, where security forces reportedly fired live rounds at unarmed demonstrators. The following day, suspected hoodlums attacked TVC’s headquarters in Lagos, setting it ablaze. Several police stations and public and private properties were also targeted during the violence that ensued.

While the Lagos State government has repeatedly denied that bodies recovered during the unrest were linked to the tollgate shooting, questions around accountability and transparency remain.