From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Son of Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, Dr. Olaokun, has debunked social media reports that herdsmen attacked his father’s country home at Kemta Area of Abeokuta, Ogun State.
He cautioned people from further circulation of the report, noting that such unfounded report was an attempt to encourage discord.
A video had emerged online yesterday stating that herdsmen invaded Soyinka’s home and attacked him.The viral video alleged that the house was vandalised and its occupants attacked.
But Junior Soyinka said the video was a hoax meant to create unnecessary tension and called on the people to disregard it. He said though some cows were spotted around his father’s house, no attack was carried out.
In the same manner, a close ally of the Nobel Laureate, Olu Agunloye, said the story of the attack was untrue.
Agunloye, in a post obtained from another social media platform, explained that herdsmen only led their cattle to graze in the unfenced compound of Soyinka, despite several warnings against such practice in the past.
“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.
Efforts to reach the spokesman of the Ogun State Police Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, to confirm the arrest of “invading herders” proved abortive as he neither picked his calls nor returned them, as at the time of filing this report.
Prof Soyinka has been living in the forest at the outskirt of Abeokuta in an 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.