YETUNDE AJANAKU: Journalist faces backlash over unprofessional, unethical, anti-Muslim comment online
A senior reporter of the Nigerian Tribune, Yetunde Ajanaku, has drawn criticism after a Facebook comment describing Islam and Muslims in derogatory terms was found online.
One of the statements, written in Yoruba, translates to “Only fools practice Islam.”
The comment appeared under a post purportedly showing an interfaith marriage where a lady identified as a Muslim tied knot with a non-Muslim.
While press bodies in Nigeria have long warned that reporters must uphold impartiality and avoid language that fuels religious tension, particularly given the country’s history of sectarian conflict, Yetunde seems to have strayed from professional ethics by reducing herself to online urchins whose motive is to stir religious war in the country.
“We expect that the Tribune Newspaper, where this journalist is reported to work, will call its staffer to order by disassociating with such conduct,” an X user, Aremu Alabewun stated.
“Her conduct leaves one to wonder if that’s why most of her interviews are focused on Non-Muslim professionals with only a handful of Muslims.”
Yetunde Ajanaku, known for her extensive interviews with influential figures across various sectors, is also the founder of the Ibadan Ladies Hub, an organization aimed at empowering women. Her position as a public figure and a journalist with access to information makes her comments particularly concerning.
Critics argue that such a statement is unexpected and highly inappropriate for a journalist of her standing. As someone whose profession demands objectivity and respect for diverse perspectives, her words are seen as a profound lapse in judgment, promoting stereotyping and discrimination.
It is widely believed that neither the Tribune Newspaper nor the numerous high-profile individuals she has interviewed would endorse such behaviour as her archive includes interviews with top names including Temitope Fash, G.F. David, Tinu Smith, Rukayat Alabi, Gaelle Mokoy, Maya Assaf, Aduragbemi Euba, Kemi Ajumobi, Yulia Dyakova-Adekunle, and Temitope ‘Topside’ Adedeji.
The controversy extends to her role as the founder of Ibadan Ladies Hub. There are fears regarding the potential negative influence and discriminatory messages that could be disseminated to the members of the hub, undermining its stated mission of empowerment.
The incident comes weeks after Nigerian investment platform Risevest suspended its operations lead, Otas Evbuomwan, when longstanding social media posts containing ethnic slurs against Yoruba women re-emerged on X.
The development sparked widespread outrage and raised fresh concerns about accountability in the country’s tech sector.
The posts, circulated widely on X, date back to around 2013 and were made from an account identified as @Cuntosaur, allegedly linked to Otas Evbuomwan, the company’s operations lead.
The messages included repeated derogatory remarks about Yoruba women.
The situation intensified after a user, @pontrol_777, posted screenshots claiming the executive had also sent abusive direct messages in recent days, defending the earlier comments and issuing new insults.
The account linked to the posts has since been set to private.
