Aluu killings: Height of man inhumanity to man – Soyinka

NOBEL laureate, Professor Wale Soyinka has described the brutal murder of four students of the University of Port Harcourt as the height of man inhumanity to man.

Soyinka who spoke, Thursday, in Port Harcourt at the public presentation of Port Harcourt as UNESCO World Book capital for 2014 said it was so painful watching the video clips of how the students were butchered to death.

Another worrisome thing according to him, was that the killing took place before silent spectators and passive participants in the community.

Continuing, he said the sad incident was another indication that there was war between the forces of darkness and light in the country.

Adding, he said Boko Haram and other allied movements that wage war against civility and enlightenment were fighting against humanity.

The literary icon warned the country not to succumb to these forces of evil.

While congratulating Port Harcourt for hosting the world book capital for 2014 he said the development had brought honour to the nation and Africa in general.

“I believe quite frankly this country is at war, the war is between the forces of darkness and the forces of light. The forces of intellect, the forces of rationality and the forces of atavism retrograde thinking, the forces of hatred against humanism.

“I believe that if we surrender to these banal forces in our society we cease to be human beings because we succumb completely to fear and it is the same message we must take to those in this nation, who believe that books are wrong.

I don’t care whether they call themselves the final defenders of the pure road and the ultimate salvation or call themselves Boko Haram.

“Boko Haram and all organisations, all movements that wage war against books, against literacy, against education, enlightenment in any form have declared war, not on the state, but on humanity itself and in spite of such setbacks, in spite of such horrors we have the responsibility to support and to sustain efforts such as being made by Rainbow Club and allied societies and organisations.

“This recognition indicates very clearly that something, at least, is going right in Nigeria despite the avalanche of negativities.” he said.