Soyinka, Herdsmen Confrontation: The True Story

Ololade Adeyanju/

Following media reports of herdsmen’s invasion of Prof Wole Soyinka’s home yesterday, associates of the Nobel Laureate and the police have given a clearer picture of the incident in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

In a statement issued today, an associate of Prof Soyinka – Dr Olu Agunloye debunked the attack story but confirmed that herdsmen desecrated the grounds of the literary lion’s compound by flooding it with cows.

Agunloye stated: “The trending story that herdsmen went to attack Prof Wole Soyinka in his house in Abeokuta is not true. Herdsmen did not break into his house. There were no attacks and no attempts to attack the Nobel Laureate.

“What happened was that herdsmen led their cattle to graze in Prof Soyinka’s unfenced compound again yesterday despite his strong warnings to the herdsmen.

“Prof Soyinka has been living in the forest at the outskirt of Abeokuta in Area designated as GRA since late 1980s. However, in recent times cattle herders have desecrated the grounds of Professor Soyinka’s compound by flooding it with cows. The Professor summoned the herdsmen and sternly warned them to stop the ugly practice. He told them in very clear terms that it was unacceptable.

“However, the herdsmen broke the rules yesterday thinking that Prof Soyinka was not home. When the Prof accosted them, they fled into the bush leaving their cows behind. Prof Soyinka reported the incident to the Police which later arrested the herdsmen and their cows.

“We can say categorically that Prof Soyinka and his house were not physically attacked but his compound was violated by recalcitrant herdsmen who wanted to turn his compound to a grazing field. Prof Soyinka and his family remain okay in their Abeokuta home.”

In another reaction, the President, Women Arise and Centre for Change, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin condemned the alleged invasion of Soyinka’s house.

She stated: “After a confirmation from Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, that some herders struck at his Abeokuta home on Tuesday at 1pm, leading to a siege on the world literary figure, we can now safely say that Nigeria is at the edge of the precipice.

“Soyinka had warned the country last weekend of how close Nigeria is to civil war if President Muhammadu Buhari did not act fast.

“Instead of the president acting, his media aides said he would become a talkative if he continued to speak on Miyetti Allah.

“Nigeria is dying before our very eyes and its death pang is what the attack on Soyinka symbolized.

“We hope security agencies will still have the guts to accost the assailants and bring them to justice, although the prognosis does not look good at all.”

The police in Ogun have also investigated the incident and issued a statement.

The statement signed by the state police spokesman, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, says: “The attention of Ogun State police command has been drawn to a video circulating on social media about a purported attack of Nobel Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka’s house by Fulani herdsmen and the command wishes to set the record straight as follows.

“Yesterday, Tuesday 9th of February 2021, one Kazeem Sorinola an indigene of Ijeun, Abeokuta who is into cattle business said to have been informed by a young Fulani man, Awalu Muhammad, who is taking care of the cattle that one of the cows had got missing. While the Fulani man was searching for the stray cow around Kemta Estate where Prof Wole Soyinka’s house is located, the Prof. himself who was going out then saw the Fulani man with some of the cows and he came down to ask where the man was heading to with the cows.

“He there and then asked the Fulani man to move the cattle away from the vicinity. The DPO Kemta Division, who heard about the incident quickly moved to the scene with patrol team and the owner of the cows was invited to come with the Fulani man in charge of the cattle. They were questioned and properly profiled. The DPO inspected the entire place, and it was established that it was just a case of a stray cow as nothing was damaged or tampered with.

“It was, therefore, a thing of surprise to see a video trending on social media that the respected Professor Wole Soyinka’s house was invaded by Fulani herdsmen with the view to attack or kill him. The video is nothing but a calculated attempt by mischief makers to cause panic in the mind of people. There is nothing like an invasion of Prof Wole Soyinka’s house or any form of attack on his person.

“The commissioner of police CP Edward Awolowo Ajogun has been to the scene for on the spot assessment, and he personally interviewed the owner of the cattle Kazeem Sorinola, as well as the Fulani man who is in charge of the cattle and their statements show clearly that the mischievous narrative of invasion is nothing to take seriously.

“The command hereby wishes to warn the fake news peddler to desist from it as they may be made to feel the weight of the law. It is an offence for anybody to originate or help in circulating fake news, the command will henceforth be tracing and fishing out those deliberately dishing out fake information to members of the public especially the one that causes panic in the mind of innocent people.”

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