Herdsmen Crisis: Soyinka Urges Buhari To Take Urgent Action

Related stories

Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka said his forest in Abeokuta, Ogun state capital has been taken over by herdsmen, stopping him from embarking on his regular hunting.

“My forest has been taken over. It’s been shrinking, shrinking. My normal hunting rounds have been shrinking, shrinking”, Soyinka told BBC Pidgin Service, Saturday.

Calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to take urgent action to avert looming ethnic war in the country, Soyinka insisted that 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.

The renowned playwright said the situation is simply intolerable and unacceptable, adding he has made Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state 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.

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

He said Buhari should address the nation in very stern and ambiguous terms and back the effort to stop the herdsmen attack openly as a patron of the Cattle Rearers Association.

He asked him to admit being a cattle rearer himself and a rancher that it is a business that should not cause arm to other people. And that people should run the business on business terms and not by killing or raping people. He said herders should not run the business by displacing or torturing people to occupy land that does not belong to him.

He urged the President to warn the cattle rearers to leave people’s land and embrace ranching nationwide as the lasting solution to the ongoing national controversy.

'Dotun Akintomide
'Dotun Akintomide
'Dotun Akintomide's journalism works intersect business, environment, politics and developmental issues. Among a number of local and international publications, his work has appeared in the New York Times. He's a winner of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Award. Currently, the Online Editor at The New Diplomat, Akintomide has produced reports that uniquely spoke to Nigeria's experience on Climate Change issues. When Akintomide is not writing, volunteering or working on a media project, you can find him seeing beautiful sites like the sandy beaches that bedecked the Lagos coastline.

Subscribe

- Never miss a story with notifications

- Gain full access to our premium content

- Browse free from up to 5 devices at once

[tds_leads input_placeholder="Your email address" btn_horiz_align="content-horiz-center" pp_msg="SSd2ZSUyMHJlYWQlMjBhbmQlMjBhY2NlcHQlMjB0aGUlMjAlM0NhJTIwaHJlZiUzRCUyMiUyMyUyMiUzRVByaXZhY3klMjBQb2xpY3klM0MlMkZhJTNFLg==" pp_checkbox="yes" tdc_css="eyJhbGwiOnsibWFyZ2luLXRvcCI6IjMwIiwibWFyZ2luLWJvdHRvbSI6IjQwIiwiZGlzcGxheSI6IiJ9LCJwb3J0cmFpdCI6eyJtYXJnaW4tdG9wIjoiMTUiLCJtYXJnaW4tYm90dG9tIjoiMjUiLCJkaXNwbGF5IjoiIn0sInBvcnRyYWl0X21heF93aWR0aCI6MTAxOCwicG9ydHJhaXRfbWluX3dpZHRoIjo3NjgsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6eyJtYXJnaW4tdG9wIjoiMjAiLCJtYXJnaW4tYm90dG9tIjoiMzAiLCJkaXNwbGF5IjoiIn0sImxhbmRzY2FwZV9tYXhfd2lkdGgiOjExNDAsImxhbmRzY2FwZV9taW5fd2lkdGgiOjEwMTksInBob25lIjp7Im1hcmdpbi10b3AiOiIyMCIsImRpc3BsYXkiOiIifSwicGhvbmVfbWF4X3dpZHRoIjo3Njd9" display="column" gap="eyJhbGwiOiIyMCIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTAiLCJsYW5kc2NhcGUiOiIxNSJ9" f_msg_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_input_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_btn_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_pp_font_family="downtown-serif-font_global" f_pp_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxNSIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTEifQ==" f_btn_font_weight="700" f_btn_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxMyIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTEifQ==" f_btn_font_transform="uppercase" btn_text="Unlock All" btn_bg="#000000" btn_padd="eyJhbGwiOiIxOCIsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6IjE0IiwicG9ydHJhaXQiOiIxNCJ9" input_padd="eyJhbGwiOiIxNSIsImxhbmRzY2FwZSI6IjEyIiwicG9ydHJhaXQiOiIxMCJ9" pp_check_color_a="#000000" f_pp_font_weight="600" pp_check_square="#000000" msg_composer="" pp_check_color="rgba(0,0,0,0.56)" msg_succ_radius="0" msg_err_radius="0" input_border="1" f_unsub_font_family="downtown-sans-serif-font_global" f_msg_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxMyIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTIifQ==" f_input_font_size="eyJhbGwiOiIxNCIsInBvcnRyYWl0IjoiMTIifQ==" f_input_font_weight="500" f_msg_font_weight="500" f_unsub_font_weight="500"]

Latest stories

NDN
Latest News
[Photos] Wike, Fubara, Amaewhule Reunite at Burial in Rivers, Signaling Peace After Tinubu’s MediationFLASH BACK: How Aminu Dantata, Dangote's Great Uncle, Wished For Death Almost 3 Years Ago[VIDEO] Wike, Fubara: Wike supporters mocking FubaraTrump’s Confusing Message About Iranian OilTrump says he’s terminating trade talks with Canada over tax on tech firmsList of Top 5 Countries That No Longer ExistMonday Okpebholo, Ifeanyi Uba's Seats: INEC Unveils Timetable for Bye-Elections as Voter Registration Resumes August 18Tears as Legendary Nigerian Tycoon Aminu Dantata, Dangote's Uncle Passes Away at 94Worsening Crisis: Saraki Predicts More Massive Defections from PDPINEC Unveils Timetable for Nationwide Bye-Elections as Voter Registration Resumes August 18How 2027 Intrigues, Power Play Ousted Ganduje as APC National ChairmanExclusive! Nigerians, Global bodies Demand Justice as Ogun Govt Stalls Estate Development, 9 Years after PaymentsNAPTIP Declares Speed Darlington Wanted for Rape, Cyberbullying AllegationsNNPCL Raises Alarm, Says Saboteurs Plot to Derail Corruption-Free OverhaulKenyan High Court Condemns Nnamdi Kanu’s Extradition to Nigeria as Unlawful
X whatsapp