Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has said that Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), was the main target of the recent deadly attack on St Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State.
Speaking during a condolence visit over the terror attack that occurred last Sunday, Soyinka, noted that the attack was on Governor Akeredolu who he said had been showing leadership in terms of internal liberation.
According to him, he attack is a message from a people obsessed with domination.
“We are dealing with people who are obsessed with domination; it is in their blood, it is in their Creed, their psyche that they need to dominate,” he said.
Soyinka added: “He (Akeredolu) was targeted and there is no question about that.
“It was not an accident, and it is passing a massage to the rest of us. That is why I’m here.
“I want the governor to know that we have received the message. We understand it and we came to sympathise with him that he was selected as a medium of that message.
“So, the answer we must give to the message we all received is that we are not slaves.
“Here, on our own soil, having had the experience of century of disdain, contempt about us as black people. Again some characters come along calling themselves whatever, ISWAP, Boko Haram.
“So, all those groups including those who are just opportunists – the herdsmen, they are making a mistake. I want the governor to realise they are making a mistake.
“I have been on this issue for quite some time. This invasion has been on and these herdsmen are all over the forests.
“At a time we thought it was Boko Haram; we didn’t know that Fulani herdsmen were capitalising on the fundamentalist insurgency and brutality.
“And that is why we see a nexus of operation between ISWAP, Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen.
“They work singularly, individually and they work collectively.
“I Know Ondo State has always been at the forefront of awareness.”
In his response, Akeredolu appreciated Soyinka for the condolence visit, saying that the state would remain hugely indebted to him.
He said: “It is a cause that he has dedicated his life to, and I thank God for his life.
“The state wants to appreciate you for finding time to come at this hour of grief.
“This is like a dagger drawn to our heart, and it is an assault on our psyche; the psyche of those of us in the South-West and Western Region.
“I think they think they can create some fears in us but they made a mistake, because this will make us more fierce in our condemnation of their actions, and we are not hiding it.”
