The Police Command has warned peddlers of fake news to desist from it as they may be made to face the full wrath of the law.
The Ogun state police command said this in a statement issued by its PPRO, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi on Wednesday, titled, “RE Herdsmen Invade Wole Soyinka’s House”
The statement was issued to refute the report that the Nobel Laureate’s residence was invaded by herdsmen on Tuesday.
The police described the viral video announcing the attack of Soyinka’s house as “a calculated attempt by mischief makers to cause panic in the mind of people.”
The statement noted that it is an offence for anybody to originate or help in circulating fake news, adding that 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.”
The statement read, “The attention of Ogun state police command has been drawn to a video circulating on social media about a purported attack of Nobel Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka’s house by Fulani herdsmen and the command wishes to set the record straight as follows.
“Yesterday Tuesday 9th of February 2021, one Kazeem Sorinola an indigene of Ijeun Abeokuta who is into cattle business said to have been informed by a young Fulani man Awalu Muhammad who is taking care of the cattle that one of the cows had got missing.
“While the Fulani man was searching for the stray cow around Kemta estate where the 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 he came down to ask where the man was heading to 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 patrol team and the owner of the cows was invited to come with the Fulani man in charge of the cattle. The duo was 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.
“It was, therefore, a thing of surprise to see a video trending on social media that the respected Professor Wole Soyinka’s house was invaded by Fulani herdsmen with the view 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 CP 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 seriously.
“The command hereby wishes to warn the fake news peddler 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 cause panic in the mind of innocent people”.
