Soyinka On Boko Haram’s Hit List.

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has
disclosed that he is one of the prominent
Nigerians on the list of Boko Haram sect
marked for assassination.
Prof. Wole Soyinka
In a down-to-earth interview with TheNEWS
magazine which is circulated within outside
Nigeria this week, Soyinka revealed that he
was not only on the sect’s assassination list
but very close to the top.
Soyinka said he has reported this to the
security operatives in the country and they
confirmed the information but he expressed
disappointment that the security operatives
have not taken action on the threat.
He said: “The reason for this programme
(elimination) which I know is very much
their third phase, is that those pushing this
agenda know very well that this could be
the last straw that will break the camel’s
back. And they would rather this country
broke up and possibly in an inferno than
continue to accept the loss, even though
temporal loss of power in this country. For
these people, government is the only
business around.”
The Nobel Laureate said he was not against
dialogue but the Boko Haram sect did not
make public their demands so that they
could sit at a round table with government.
He added that dialogue does not require a
group to constitute itself into a terror,
stating that PRONACO which he joined
during former President Obasanjo’s
administration successful organised its
conference, amended the constitution of
Nigeria and presented the document to the
government without violence.
Soyinka said he cannot be cowed into
submission by the Boko Haram or any other
violent group, stressing, “I believe that one
should not beg for existence. If the price of
not coming to table is that you want to
eliminate me, and you can do so, please do
so. I am 77.
“Please, come to the debating table, but you
will not persuade me simply because you
have the capacity to blow me and my family
up. You can simply go ahead, blow us up if
you think that is the way you can do your
conversation. But you will not bomb me to
sit with you at table,” he insisted.
Soyinka said President Jonathan is
underestimating the desperation of the
forces behind the Boko Haram sect not
considering the Islamic struggle in countries
like Iraq where fundamentalist Islamic
groups attack one another even in their
sanctuary of worship and they retaliate with
higher casualty figure.