First News, an online newspaper, has apologized to Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, for a story published on January 29, 2024, which led to his arrest and detention by the Defence Intelligence Agency.
The article, written by Segun Olatunji, the now-former General Editor, made allegations against Gbajabiamila, which the news platform has since retracted, citing “falsehoods and fabricated stories” from a misleading source.
“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,” said the management of First News in a statement.
However, Olatunji resigned as editor, citing concerns for his safety and that of his family.
In his resignation letter, he stated, “In view of the latest developments regarding the Gbajabiamila story and the stance of the company’s management, I hereby tender my resignation as the General Editor of First News… It has become imperative for me to resign my appointment for the safety of my person and my family… However, I want to state that in no distant time, the truth will come out and then it’ll be my word against theirs.”
Olatunji’s resignation follows his abduction and arrest in March, which sparked widespread condemnation from media organizations, including the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, and International Press Institute. His wife, Abiodun Olatunji, described the armed men who took him away as “common criminals,” saying, “They arrived at our residence a few minutes after 6 pm and whisked my husband away without leaving any information behind as to where they were taking him… They seized his phone immediately after they arrived and bundled him into a van like a common criminal and zoomed off.”
