Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has lambasted the Federal Government over the charges brought against the convener of #RevolutionNow, protest Omoyele Sowore.
In a statement on Saturday, Soyinka noted that the present government led by Muhammadu Buhari had attained an “unprecedented level of paranoia,” following the seven count charges preferred against Sowore.
Describing the charges “as improbable” Soyinka said he was not convinced that the Justice department itself believed in them.
Recall that the Federal Government had on Friday charged Sowore for treasonable felony and money laundering.
Sowore, who is the Publisher of Sahara Reporters and the Presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, in the last general elections was arrested on August 3, for calling for a nationwide protest against the state of the nation.
He was initially accused of plotting to violently overthrow the government of President Buhari.
Below is Soyinka’s full statement:
“This is utterly depressing news. So, the Sowore affair has moved beyond harassment and taken on a sinister direction. Outside the country where I happened to be engaged at the moment, I can testify that the immediate reaction around me was to dismiss this as yet another grotesque product of Fake News, of which Nigerians have become the greatest practitioners. I confess that I also joined in this school of thought – at the start.
“Further checks have however confirmed that this government has indeed attained an unprecedented level of paranoia. I do not believe that the Justice department itself believes in these improbable charges, as formally publicised.
“So, once again, we inscribe in our annals another season of treasonable felony. History still guards some lessons we have yet to digest, much less from which to learn.
“Welcome to the Club, Mr. Omoyele Sowore.”
