- Professor Wole Soyinka has cried out about his identity being stolen on Facebook for personal business purpose in Poland
- The award-winning writer spoke barely a week after President Muhammadu Buhari cleared dust on his identity
- He also stressed on the need for press freedom, adding that issue of stolen identity should not be taken with levity
An award-winning international writer, Professor Wole Soyinka, has raised an alarm over his identity being stolen and used by a Nigerian in Poland for business purpose.
In a report available in Vanguard, the alert from the Nobel Laureate came barely a week after President Muhammadu Buhari cleared the dust surrounding his identity when he was addressing Nigerians in Poland.
Legit.ng gathers that Soyinka, addressing a cross section of audience at Freedom Park in an event marking the 70th anniversary of human rights and worldwide reading for press freedom in memory of Jamal Khashoggi, stressed on the need to take the issue of stolen identity with seriousness.
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He said: "Recently, we have a situation in Nigeria and that is the issue of cloning President Muhammadu Buhari. We have people who have taken that issue seriously. These were people that one can never believe to accept such considering their level of intelligence.
“When Buhari went to Poland, I said what a coincidence because I hope while he was there, he will be able to sort-out his identity and there will be a report on the return of his identity.
“Poland appears to be the centre for Nigerians settlers with stolen identity.”
Soyinka said upon discovery that his identity was being used in Poland, he visited the country and demanded that the page using his identity on Facebook be pulled down.
He said: "But he (operator of the business) refused, claiming that he has authority to do that. In my name, this fellow sells and buys things which I don’t even use."
Speaking on press freedom, the Nobel Laureate noted that the right has been abused with the emergence of social media. He, however, said that the freedom to press and expression should not be taken with levity.
He said: "If we must fight for freedom of expression, we must fight for the correct attribution of expression.
“If the doctrine of freedom of expression was to be reversed, there will be certainly a number of issues to be addressed because expression on social media has taken a quantum leave in the last few years that cannot be imagined."
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Nigeria’s Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, on Thursday, August 2, said he did not believe anyone who decided to leave a party should be crucified for making such a move.
The award-winning author made this known in Lagos at the presentation of his new book ‘Who Is Watching The Watchmen?’.
Professor Soyinka, however, criticised the ill intentions of some politicians as their reasons for dumping one political party for another.
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Source: Legit.ng
