He said their activities are “internal colonialism... which should shake the marrow of every citizen". When I asked him what he would tell President Buhari if he were present, Mr Soyinka said: “If I met the president I will say to him, ‘Mr. President, I think you are under a trance.’”

Calling the current response to the attacks unsatisfactory, he added: “too many things are happening now which made me say that and the sooner he gets out of that trance, the better for the nation.”