A Nobel Laureate, Mr Woke Soyinka, yesterday asked the Federal Government to shelve its pride and ask for international assistance to curb killings in Benue State and other affected places in the country.

Soyinka spoke during a visit to Governor Samuel Ortom in Makurdi after he attended the 35th anniversary of Mr Suemo Chia’s novel, Adan Wade Kohol Ga, written in Tiv.

“I think there should be no business of national integrity, national pride and so on. People are dying, this government cannot cope, please just ask for international help and I know they’re ready and willing to come to our aid,” he said.

The literary icon posited further that where human lives are concerned in their thousands and as it was observed everywhere all over the world, those nations where the Nigerian military had served before can come to the country’s assistance.

Soyinka challenged President Muhammadu Buhari to give those who are occupying lands that do not belong to them 48 hours to get out of there for the proper indigenous occupants to return to their homes.

Mr Ortom said it is government’s responsibility to rise up to defend the unity of the country and to defend their integrity as leaders.

Ortom said, “This is not a hidden agenda; it is known and those people who are perpetrating it did say it. They’re not hidden. They held press conferences, they came out and said they were going to resist our law, that they were going to do ethnic cleansing, it is about jihad, it’s about taking over the land, it’s not about herders and farmers clashes. They said it clearly and it’s written and we have the documents and I’ve reported them to the security agencies.”

The governor, who commended Soyinka for his solidarity, also thanked Mr Buhari for upgrading the military action in the state.

Daily Trust