Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, Edward Ajogun has described the viral video purporting an attack on the house of Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka in Abeokuta by Fulani herdsmen as fake.
Speaking through the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, in a statement on Wednesday, February 10, 2021, Ajogun said that the state police command was surprised to see the video trending on social media that Soyinka’s house was invaded by Fulani herdersmen with the aim of attacking or killing him.
The police commissioner said it was a calculated attempt by mischief makers to cause panic among the indigenes and residents in the state, as there was no incident of invasion of Prof. Soyinka’s house or attack on his person.
Setting the records straight, Ajogun said: “On Tuesday, February 9, one Kazeem Sorinola, an indigene of Ijeun, Abeokuta, who is into cattle business, was informed by a young Fulani man, Awalu Muhammad, who is taking care of his cattle, that one of his cows was missing.
“While the Fulani man was searching for the stray cow around Kemta Estate, where Prof. Wole Soyinka’s house is located, the Professor, who was going out, saw him with some cows and came down to ask where the man was heading towards.
“He asked the Fulani man to move the cattle away from the vicinity.
“The Divisional Police Officer, Kemta Division, who heard about the incident, quickly moved to the scene with patrol team, and the owner of the cows was invited to come with the Fulani man in charge of the cattle.
“The two of them were questioned and properly profiled. The entire place was inspected by the DPO, and it was established that it was just a case of a stray cow, as nothing was damaged or tampered with.”
The police commissioner also visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment, and personally interviewed the owner of the cattle Kazeem Sorinola, as well as the Fulani man.
It was learnt that in the interview, “their statements showed that the mischievous narrative of invasion is nothing to take serious.
“The command hereby wishes to warn 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 those that cause panic in innocent people,” the PPRO quoted the state police boss to have said.
