Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has suspended his Senior Special Assistant on Print Media, Mr Wale Ajetunmobi.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile.

The statement was titled, ‘Governor Sanwo-Olu suspends aide.’

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

Akosile noted that the Sanwo-Olu-led 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.”

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

Premium Times, on Sunday, November 24, 2024, reported a tweet by Ajetunmobi, tweeting as #Riddwane, in which he revealed that arsonists who burnt down the Television Continental 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.

The tweet read, “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.”

The tweet read, “This excerpt was quoted out of context and there were series of comments made under the same post, which better explained what was intended. Like I did further explained in the said tweet, no extra-judicial killing was insinuated. The word ‘executed’ was erroneously used and not intended in the context of that casual conversation.

“What was written in the entire conversation reflected personal opinion and not the position of any authority or the entity in which I work. The post and other comments had been taken down, even before this publication.”

In a report by PUNCH Online on October 30, 2020, it was reported that no fewer than 250 staff of TVC at Ikosi, Ketu, Lagos, were unable to work after arsonists burnt the station.

Transmission gadgets, state-of-the-art studios, production rooms and operational vehicles of TVC, including cars of staff, were set ablaze.

The station’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Andrew Hanlon, added that over 500 direct employees of the station had been struggling to work in temporary accommodation put up by the company.

Halon stated these when Governor Sanwo-Olu visited the management and staff of the station.

Civil servants in Cross River state have commenced a strike over the non-implementation of the new minimum wage.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) had slated November 25 and 26 for the warning strike.

They warned that the industrial action would be followed by a total strike should the government fail to do the needful before December 1.

Bassey Otu, governor of Cross River, appealed to the unions to shelve the plan and “support the government in its quest to improve the lot of our people”.

The governor made the appeal at the 5th edition of the state solemn assembly at U.J. Esuene Stadium in Calabar.

Otu said his administration is committed to the welfare of workers.

“I appeal to the leadership of organised labour and all affiliates of the NLC and TUC to suspend their planned strike,” he had said.

“I enjoin them to support the government in the quest to improve the lot of our people.”

On July 29, 2024, President Bola Tinubu signed the minimum wage bill into law. The legislation increased the country’s minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000.

On November 11, NLC announced November 30 as the deadline for all state governments to implement the new minimum wage.

The union ordered its members to embark on an indefinite strike in states where the new minimum wage is yet to be implemented.

However, several states have begun implementation of the new wage.

A yet-to-be-identified driver luckily escaped death on Monday morning when a 40-foot-laden container fell onto a Toyota Camry, with registration number LSR 293 HJ, at Mile 2, en route to Apapa Ports, Lagos.

The accident, according to an eyewitness, happened at about 8 a.m.

Fortunately, the driver of the car was rescued by the prompt intervention and coordinated response of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and other emergency services, including the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA).

The victim received immediate medical attention after being rushed to the hospital by the joint rescue team.

Security during the operation was effectively maintained by officers from the Kirikiri Police Division, who ensured a secure and orderly environment for the emergency responders.

Following the rescue, the Toyota Camry was successfully removed from beneath the container.

As of 9.30 am, efforts to evacuate the fallen container were in full swing, while LASTMA officers managed the scene to ease traffic congestion and restore normalcy.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, reiterated the critical importance of proper container securing by truck drivers and owners.

He stressed that negligence in this regard endangers lives and property, urging strict compliance with road safety protocols to avert such catastrophic occurrences.

“LASTMA remains unwavering in its commitment to ensuring the safety and efficiency of Lagos roadways and continues to work collaboratively with relevant stakeholders to uphold traffic laws and enhance public safety,” Bakare-Oki stated.