In a shocking revelation that has prompted immediate administrative action, a senior aide to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu claimed soldiers executed individuals responsible for burning down Television Continental (TVC) during the 2020 #EndSARS protests.
Wale Ajetunmobi, the Governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Print Media, made the controversial statements on social media platform X, asserting that the majority of arsonists had been “hunted and executed” by military personnel.
The full story of people who burnt down TVC in 2020 will be told one day, with gory clips and images,” Ajetunmobi wrote, suggesting that soldiers had killed the perpetrators during an alleged exchange of gunfire.
The television station, said to be owned by President Bola Tinubu before his presidential inauguration in May 2023, was partially destroyed during the widespread protests against police brutality.
In response to criticism, Ajetunmobi defended the alleged killings, questioning the definition of extrajudicial killing and claiming the arsonists were overpowered during a confrontation with soldiers.
However, the Governor’s office swiftly denounced these claims. Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, announced Ajetunmobi’s immediate suspension, emphasising that the administration “frowns at any form of extra-judicial punishment.”
The incident highlights the ongoing tensions surrounding the 2020 #EndSARS protests and raises serious questions about potential human rights violations.