Professor Wole Soyinka has said the last year’s #ENDSARS protests powered by youths made them proud, adding that more states in the country needed to launch the South-West Security Network Agency, Amotekun, because some groups have no respect for Nigeria’s sovereignty.

Soyinka, however, cautioned that Amotekun should not be allowed to turn into another Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS.

The Nobel Laureate said these on an Arise TV programme.

He particularly described #ENDSARS protests as “righteous, well organised and long-overdue movement by a generation over whom one has been uttering noises of despair, asking ‘when are they going to get their acts together? When are they going to understand that this nation is collapsing under their feet and they are going to be the inheritors of this disaster?’”

Soyinka said: “And finally, finally they moved. The youths moved. To me, they made many of us proud. This is a kind of generation that seems to pick up positive signs in their existence and now are taking charge.” On the South-West security outfit, Amotekun, Professor Soyinka urged other states yet to launch their security outfits to do so.

He hinged his stance on the fact that “the sovereignty of this nation is in the hands of murdering herdsmen, Boko Haram, ISWAP and those who do not have the slightest respect for national integrity.”