FirstNews editor resigns after newspaper apologises to Gbajabiamila

The Editor of FirstNews, Mr Segun Olatunji, has resigned from his post shortly after the publication apologised to Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu. His resignation followed a 14-day detention by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) in Abuja, related to a report he authored entitled “How Gbajabiamila attempted to corner $30bn, 66 houses traced to Sabiu.”

In a statement, the First News Management admitted that the story contained “falsehoods and fabricated stories” and apologized to Gbajabiamila. However, Olatunji’s resignation letter hinted that he was unhappy with the apology and hoped that the truth would come out soon.

Olatunji cited safety concerns for himself and his family as the reason for his resignation. He also demanded that the management settle his outstanding salaries for the past year. In his resignation letter, he stated, “I want to state that in no distant time, the truth will come out and then it’ll be my word against theirs.”

While appreciating the opportunity he had to work with the oragnisation, Olatunji, however, said, “I hope the management of First Media Network Limited, publishers of First News newspaper, will be magnanimous enough to fully settle the one-year outstanding salaries I am being owed, in no time.”

Recall that Olatunji was in March bundled into a van parked outside his house situated in Iyana Odo, Abule Egba and whisked away.

The International Press Institute, Nigeria, later traced him to the custody of the Defence Intelligence Agency in Abuja, where he spent two weeks and was subjected to inhumane conditions, according to the editor’s narration upon his release.

The editor regained freedom after sustained media pressure. Media stakeholders including the Nigerian Guild of Editors and the Newspapers Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria had demanded a probe into the incident which led to the DIA meeting with the Nigerian Press Organisation, the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria and civil society partners.

In April, the media stakeholders said they had referred the matter to the National Media Complaints Commission adjudged as the National Media Ombudsman following the DIA’s disposition.

Their statement partly read, “After considering this disposition towards the Ombudsman, the NPO, BON and civil society partners, after reviewing the outcome of the April 14 meeting, have decided to refer the matter to the Ombudsman for adjudication. The report of the Ombudsman process would be made public.”