Professor Wole Soyinka

A friend and protege as well as the first son of  Professor Wole Soyinka have denied reports that the home of Africa’s first Nobel Laureate in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, was under attack by herdsmen.

While clarifying the situation, Soyinka’s first son, Dr Olaokun and the Nobel Laureate’s friend and protege, Dr Olu Agunloye said the viral information that the Professor of literature has left his Abeokuta home for Lagos as a result of the attack by the herdsmen was also not true.

They however conformed that while it is true that some herdsmen took their cattle to graze in the expansive compound of the Nobel Laureate, there was no any form of attack on his person of family.

Agunloye said: 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’.

Speaking in the same vein, Olaokun said: “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.

“Kindly debunk this information where you can.

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

He asked Koiki Media who took the videos to also join in the efforts  to stop “spreading such disinformation”,  while noting that it is dangerous.