The Editor of FirstNews, an online newspaper, Mr. Segun Olatunji, who was recently kidnapped by operatives of the Defence Intelligence Agency, DIA, but released two weeks after, has resigned his appointment.
Olatunji on Wednesday tendered his letter of resignation, a copy of which was made available to FrontPage.
His resignation followed the apology tendered by the management of the newspaper over the report for which he was abducted.
The story, written by Segun Olatunji, is titled “How Gbajabiamila attempted to corner $30bn, 66 houses traced to Sabiu”, and published on January 29, 2024.
Olatunji said his resignation also became necessary for the safety of his person and family.
He added that in no distant time, the truth about the story would “come out and then it’ll be my word against theirs.”
He called on the management of the newspaper for the payment of his one year salary which he said the company owed him.
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His letter of resignation reads in full:
“Resignation as General Editor
“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.
“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.
“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.
“I thank the company’s management for giving me the opportunity to contribute my quota to its operations in the past four years.”
Earlier in the day on Wednesday, the management of FirstNews online newspaper tendered an unreserved apology to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, over the news story in question.
The management said it had discovered that the said 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 added.
