Soyinka Was Not Attacked By Herdsmen – Son

Dr Olaokun Soyinka, one of the children of the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka on Wednesday debunked rumour on social media about the alleged attack on his father by Fulani herdsmen.

The young Soyinka said in a statement he circulated on social media that the story was not true. It would be recalled that some social media platforms published a story that “Prof Wole Soyinka’s house was attacked last night by Fulani hoodlums and miscreants to assassinate him because of his numerous truth to power and particularly, because of his recent News Interview where he spoke truth to the Presidency especially advising Buhari to come out openly and denounce the Fulani herdsmen dastardly acts of violence in the Southern parts of Nigeria”.

But Dr Olaokun Soyinka in the statement said the story was nothing, but fake.

He said, “this is not true, please do not circulate further and help to debunk it”.

“It is an attempt to encourage discord. Although some cows were spotted, neither Prof nor his house was attacked by anyone”.

“I have confirmed this today (Wednesday 10th) directly myself from him”.

“Kindly do not fall for this attempt, whatever the motive, to further inflame this problematic situation”, he concluded. On its part, the State Command of the Nigeria Police said the matter was nothing, but a case of a stray cow.

The command spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi in a statement issued in Abeokuta and made available to Vanguard, said there was no attempt by any person to attack Prof. Soyinka.

Abimbola said, “It was 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”.

He said, “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 Police statement read, “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 the 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 the patrol team and the owner of the cows was invited to come with the Fulani man in charge of the cattle. The duo was questioned and properly profiled”.

“The entire place was inspected by the DPO and it was established that it was just a case of stray cow as nothing was damaged or tampered with”.

“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, 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, therefore, 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”.