Fulani herdsmen trespassed into my father’s land – Soyinka’s son

Emmanuel AmudaFebruary 10, 2021

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Olaokun, son of Wole Soyinka, the Nobel laureate, says herders did not attack his father’s house in Ogun state but trespassed into his land.

He said cows did stray onto his land on Tuesday; there has been no attack, no violence and no attempt to enter the house

Olaokun released a statement on Wednesday in reaction to a viral video on social media, in which it was alleged that the Nobel laureate’s house was attacked by herders on Tuesday.

In the video, a voice who claimed to work for a media house said some herders attacked Soyinka’s house and threatened to kill him.

According to the narrator in the video, the herders were arrested and remanded at a police station.

Olaokun, however, said his father was not attacked and that although herders trespassed into his land, there was no violence.

“I have confirmed that while cows did stray onto his land yesterday, there has been no attack, no violence and no attempt to enter the house,” Olaokun said.

“We do not need confusion added to the already tense situation in the country.”

Abimbola Oyeyemi, Ogun state police spokesperson, has also released a statement to debunk the alleged attack, saying it was a minor case of a cow straying into Soyinka’s property.

The police spokesperson said: “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 patrol team and the owner of the cows was invited to come with the Fulani man in charge of the cattle.

“The duo were 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.”

Oyeyemi described the viral video as “a calculated attempt by mischief makers to cause panic in the mind of people”.

Edward Awolowo Ajogun, the state commissioner of police, is also said to have visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment.

There has been rising tension in the south-west over the activities of herders, with locals accusing them of masterminding abductions and killings in some communities.