Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, Monday, called for criminal proceedings against the First Lady, Turai, for kidnapping and falsely imprisoning ailing President Umaru Yar’Adua.
Soyinka said this when he and convener of Save Nigeria Group, SNG, Pastor Tunde Bakare; President, Campaign for Democracy, CD, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin and former presidential aspirant, Prof. Pat Utomi, led thousands of women under the umbrella of “Women Arise” in commemoration of the 2010 International Women Day celebration in Lagos.
The peaceful match was staged to condemn all forms of discrimination against women and the First Lady, Mrs. Turai Yar’Adua, for concealing the true state of her husband’s health from Nigerians.
Soyinka, in his short remarks, said the move by the women was a demonstration that they have realised that there are spousal abuse, and called for criminal proceedings against Turai for falsely imprisoning the president.
According to him: “From the panel I see here, some of you realise that spousal abuse is not one way. It is not just men to women. But, sometimes it can be spousal abuse of women to men.
“And, we have that example going on today in which the President of this nation is being abused physically by a woman. He has been hidden by a woman who is keeping him under false imprisonment.
“ In a refined society, such women should be in the courts by now for kidnapping and false imprisonment. But, even worse than abusing a spouse is abusing a nation, abusing and insulting the intelligence of the nation. I think what all of you are asking today is, release this man so that he can speak to the nation about his condition,” Soyinka said.
While urging the First Lady to release the president to speak to the nation on his health, Soyinka stated: “Release him, stop insulting and belittling his family. “I understand that even his mother was not allowed to see him.
“To me, it is sacrilege; it is absolute sacrilege. And, I think we should begin criminal proceedings against Turai for kidnapping, for husband abuse, for false imprisonment and for nation abuse. But, I leave you, the women gender, to deal with them. I think you are very capable.”
