'I had given up on south-west governors until launch of ‘Amotekun', says Wole Soyinka

Seun Adeyeye 22:15 - 13 January 2020

Wole Soyinka, the 1986 winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature who comes from Abeokuta, addressed the festival where Epega performed opera in Pidgin

Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka has described the south-west regional security outfit, "Operation Amotekun" as an unexpected New Year present.

While speaking at an event to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Nigerian civil war in Lagos, Soyinka said he had given up on the governors until the initiative came up.

It would be recalled that governors of the south-west states (Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo and Lagos) launched Amotekun, the Western Nigeria Security Network (WNSN) on Thursday, January 9, 2020.

The six state governors had constituted the outfit to tackle challenges of insecurity, including kidnapping and banditry in the region.

Amotekun launches in Ibadan on Thursday, January 9, 2020 (Seyi Makinde)

The renowned writer said the security outfit will respond to the yearnings of the people in the region.

“To thank a number of public-spirited, humanity-considering governors in this nation, who finally responded to the demand and yearnings of the citizens and produced one organization called Amotekun,” Soyinka said.

ALSO READ: 7 things to know about Amotekun, Southwest’s new security outfit

“It’s one of the most unexpected because I had given up on them; it is an unexpected but at the same time a desirable New Year Present.”

Speaking at the launch, Kayode Fayemi, governor of Ekiti state, said he and his colleagues would go any length to ensure their people sleep with both eyes closed.

Earlier today, the Police threatened to arrest 'Operation Amotekun' members [and here’s why]