Alleged $30bn Loot Report: Abducted Editor Resigns As Newspaper Apologises To Gbajabiamila
Segun Olatunji, the abducted editor, has stepped down from his role at FirstNews after the media house management issued an apology to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
After enduring a two-week detention following his abduction by military personnel from his residence in Lagos on March 15, 2024, Olatunji explained that he decided to step down from his role as General Editor of FirstNews to ensure the safety of himself and his family.
It was learnt that the management of the newspaper apologised to Gbajabiamila over a recent news story published on its platform.
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The story, written by Olatunji, was titled “How Gbajabiamila Attempted to corner $30bn, 66 houses traced to Sabiu.”
The management, in a statement on Wednesday, said it found out the story contained “falsehoods and fabricated stories handed out to us as facts by a misleading source, which was highly negligent on our part and for which we deeply tender an unreserved apology to the Chief of Staff to the President.”
“As a responsible media organisation, we wish to state very categorically that we have no malicious intent towards the person of the Chief of Staff to the President or his office. Hence, our decision to tender an unreserved apology and the need to publish a retraction of the said story,” the management said.
Subsequent to this event, Olatunji penned a letter to the Publisher/Managing Director of First Media Network Limited on Wednesday, stating, “In view of the latest development regarding the Gbajabiamila story and the stance of the company’s management, I hereby tender my resignation as the General Editor of First News.”
He also stated 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 organisation, 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.”
