Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, has called on the public to be wary of identity thieves using falsehood to legitimise their antics.
Soyinka who spoke in a statement on Saturday titled ‘Identity Thieves on the Rampage,’ said such identity thieves had exhumed ‘an ancient fabrication’ once attributed to him and which he strongly condemned to endorse a video clip ordering Igbo to leave Yorubaland.
He said, “Undoubtedly in order to promote the video clip of an ethnic revanchist calling on Igbo to leave Yorubaland, this same lunatic fringe has exhumed, and embarked on circulating an ancient fabrication – several years mouldering in the grave – once attributed to me and vigorously denounced.
“That statement impudently expounds, as my utterance, what the Hausa want, what the Yoruba want, and what the Igbo want. Such an attribution– let me once again reiterate – is the work of sick, cowardly minds that are ashamed, or lack the courage, as the saying goes, ‘to answer their fathers’ names.’ At least the current ethnic rabble-rouser has the courage of his convictions, not so the sick brigade of identity thieves.”
The playwright stated that normally he should ignore the identity thieves whom he described as ‘social dregs,’ noting that it was vital to refute the constant deceit considering the current reality where fake news was usually believed and acted upon.
Soyinka added, “Normally, one should totally ignore the social dregs. However, in the present atmosphere where fake news is so easily swallowed and acted upon without reflection, I feel once again obliged to denounce this recurrent obscenity. As for our brother and sister Igbo, I hope they have learnt to ignore the toxic bilge under which some Nigerian imbeciles seek to drown the nation.
“It is time also, I believe, to also enter the following admonition: one cannot continue to monitor and respond to the concoctions of these addicts of falsehood, and their assiduous promoters who have yet to learn to wipe the filth off their tablets. The patrons of social platforms should develop the art of discrimination. Some attributions are simply so gross that, to grant them even a moment’s latitude of probability diminishes the civic intelligence of the recipient.’’
