Boko Haram: Nigerians must defeat forces of evil – Soyinka

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has urged Nigerians to be committed and join hands in the fight against insurgency in the country.

His words: “No matter what part of the nation we primarily belong, irrespective of whatever religion we espouse, and no matter where we find ourselves in these troubled times, we must link arms and stand against the forces of irredeemable evil, and be guided by pronouncements that promote our common humanity in defiance of a murderous minority.”

Soyinka, who turned 81 on Monday, made this call in his message to the 81 Finalists in the WSICE Essay Competition, who undertook the annual pilgrimage to his Ijegba Forest residence.

He said: “Whether we choose to admit it or not, we are assailed by one of the most ruthless enemies of humanity that the nation has ever known. It must be an extremely lucky individual among you from several parts of the North who has not lost a family member, a friend, a mentor, or even acquaintance to the forces of death and destruction known as Boko Haram.

“You all know that in recent weeks, they have even intensified their campaign of terror and intimidation further south – to Kaduna, and the Plateau. Their message to the rest of us, seemingly insulated, is loud and clear. We are all involved. “We must not surrender.

We must not even accommodate those who believe that our youth exist only for enslavement and arbitrary slaughter. These creatures are not part of us. They belong to no known community of humans.

We must join hands in expelling them from our midst and remain dedicated to that eternal human undertaking – the pursuit of truth and illumination through the exercise of the mind.”

The renowned writer noted that “the youth of our northern communities have borne much, sacrificed much, over and beyond what should be expected at your age. Alas, it is not yet over!

Your presence here testifies to your courage and resilience, and the tenacity of your parents.” “My message to you all is therefore straightforward: We must not despair, and we must never submit.

We must never forget their victims who must now be counted in thousands. We must dedicate ourselves to the recovery of the missing, the rehabilitation of the displaced, and the healing of the wounded and traumatised.

“Islam is a religion that is famous for its love of the Book, indeed, the early followers of that faith were known as ‘the people of the Book’. Famous Islamic scholars have stood guardian at the portals of institutions of learning such as the Library of Alexandria,” Soyinka said.