By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Suspected Fulani herdsmen on Wednesday attacked the home of Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Southwest Nigeria.

The herdsmen reportedly arrived Soyinka’s home at Ijegba Forest, Abeokuta early in the morning, but the intervention of the police saved the day.

It was gathered that the police were quickly called and they arrived Soyinka’s home to prevent any attack on him.

Soyinka is said to have moved to Lagos following attack on his home.

When contacted, Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Ogun Police Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi said he could not speak on the matter as he and others were on their way to Soyinka’s house.

He said he would speak later after visiting the place to see things for himself.

However, unconfirmed source said some herdsmen have been arrested in connection with the attack.

The attack is coming few days after Soyinka told President Muhammadu Buhari to speak out urgently, to stop the herdsmen crisis before it snowballed into a civil war.

In an interview with BBC Pidgin, Soyinka had said the herdsmen crisis is already a war now “right on our door steps”.

He said it is expectedly triggering some kind of mobilisation and stressed the urgent need for resolution.

“If we continue to wait for the resolution to be centrally handled, we are all going to become, if not already, slaves in our land”, he said.

He said the situation is simply intolerable and unacceptable.

He said he has made Governor Dapo Abiodun to understand what was going on.

“We are here not just to live, but live in dignity. Right now our dignity is being rubbished”, he said.

Soyinka who lives in Abeokuta inside a forest said his own space has been violated by the herdsmen.

“My forest has been taken over. It’s been shrinking, shrinking. My normal hunting rounds have been shrinking, shrinking”.

He said he has been warned by his family not to venture into the forest again for any game hunting.

Soyinka said Buhari’s silence amid the atrocities committed by the herdsmen, meant he is complicit to their crimes.

By voting in buhari, a 72-year-old Muslim, who has described himself as a “converted democrat" Nigerians have shown an ability to look past his earlier misdeeds, soyinka said.

Bankowner:
Dr Olaokun Soyinka speaks:
Prof Wole is in Lagos and his son punctured the story as false:
“This is not true, please donot circulate further and help to debunk it. It is an attempt to encourage discord. Although some cows were spotted, neither Prof or his house was attacked by anyone. I have confirmed this today (Wedn 10th) directly myself from him. Kindly do not fall for this attempt, whatever the motive, to further inflame this problematic situation.

Dr Olaokun Soyinka.