President Muhammadu Buhari’s controversial statement that his government will deal with violent secessionists in the South-east “in the language they understand” has been condemned by Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka.
Prof Soyinka, in a statement sent to Premium Times Friday, said Mr Buhari’s “recent deployment of this language is thus wrongly targeted, and tragically untimely.”
“Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand,” Mr. Buhari had said in reaction to attacks on state institutions and personnel in the South-east and South-south regions of Nigeria.
The President’s statement has stirred controversy across Nigeria and beyond with critics describing it as insensitive and suggesting genocide against the Igbos The president’s supporters, however, say the statement was simply a stern warning to violent insurrectionists in the South-east.
On Thursday, Twitter deleted the president’s post with the Nigerian government later saying the social media giant has a hidden agenda in Nigeria.
On Friday, Nigeria announced an indefinite suspension of Twitter.
In his Friday statement, Mr. Soyinka compared President Buhari’s statement to the statements and actions of former U.S. President Donald Trump while the latter was in office.
Premium Times
