Again, stray cattle ‘ visit’ Soyinka residence in Abeokuta
• Police dismiss report of invasion
THE Nigeria Police Force has debunked rumour of herdsmen invasion of Abeokuta home of Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, yesterday.
In a statement, yesterday, Ogun State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, described the video as nothing but a calculated attempt by mischief- makers to cause panic in the mind of people. Oyeyemi said that on Tuesday, February 9, 2021, one Kazeem Sorinola, an indigene of Ijeun in Abeokuta, who is into cattle business, was said to have been informed by a young Fulani man, Awalu Muhammad, who is taking care of the cattle, that one of the animals got missing.
“While the Fulani man was searching for the stray cow around Kemta Estate where 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 came down to ask where the man was heading 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 a 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 said it was surprising to see a video trending on social media to the effect that the home of Soyinka was invaded by Fulani herdsmen with the aim to attack or kill him.
“The video is nothing but a calculated attempt by mischief makers to cause panic in the mind of people. There is nothing like 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 serious.
“The command hereby warns the fake news peddlers 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.”