Prof. Wole Soyinka, a Nobel laureate, has described the attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, in which many worshippers were slaughtered, as a warning to the entire South-West.
Soyinka expressed his thoughts on the terror incident last Sunday while paying a condolence visit to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.
He described the incident as a message, claiming it was directed at the governor, who has been demonstrating leadership in terms of his people's internal liberation.
There is no doubt that he (the governor) was targeted. It wasn't an accident, and it gave the rest of us a message. That is why I have come. I'd want to inform the governor that we've received the communication.
Soyinka added, "We understand it and we grew to sympathize with him that he was chosen as a medium of that message."
Akeredolu expressed gratitude to the Nobel Laureate for his visit, noting that the state would be beholden to him in the future.
He has dedicated his life to this cause, and I thank God for his life. The state wishes to thank you for taking the time to visit at this difficult time. This is like a dagger drawn at our heart, and it is an assault on the mentality of those of us in the South-West, Akeredolu said. I suppose they think they can instill fear in us, but they made a mistake because the attack will make us more vehement in our rejection of their conduct.