Ogun State Police Command has said there is no iota of truth in the viral video trending on social media that some Fulani herdsmen invaded the Abeokuta house of the Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka.
The house is located in Kemta Area of the rock city.
According to the state Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, a cow strayed into the vicinity of the Nobel laureate’s house on Tuesday and the Fulani herder, Awwalu Muhammad sheperding a herd of cows on behalf of the owner, Kazeem Sorinola had gone to seek for the strayed animal.
However, Oyeyemi said Prof. Soyinka who was going out from his house then saw the Fulani man with some of the cows in the vicinity and he came down to ask where the man was heading to with the cows.
He added that he(Prof. Soyinka)there and then asked the herder to move the cattle away from the vicinity.
Oyeyemi said the Dvisional Police Officer, Kemta, who heard about the incident quickly moved to the scene with a patrol team and the owner of the cows was invited to come to the station with the Fulani man in charge of the cattle.
He said “the duo were questioned and properly profiled and the entire place was inspected by the DPO,”adding that it was established that it was just a case of stray cow as nothing was damaged or tampered with in Prof. Soyinka’s house.
The police spokesman said it was therefore a thing of surprise to see a video trending on social media that the respected Professor’s house was invaded by Fulani herdesmen with the view to attack or kill him.
He said the video is nothing but a calculated attempt by mischief makers to cause panic in the mind of the people, stating that
“there is nothing like invasion of Prof Wole Soyinka’s house or any form of attack on his person.”
Oyeyemi added that the Commissioner of Police, Edward 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 showed clearly that the mischievous narrative of invasion was nothing to take serious.
The command then warned the persons behind the fake news to desist from it as they might be made to feel the weight of the law.
He noted that “it is an offence for anybody to originate or help in circulating fake news, as the command will 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.”
