Soyinka Risks Jail Term of Three to Seven Years if He Tears Green Card - Legal Expert

Wole Soyinka could be prosecuted by the American
Government in the event of a purposeful destruction of
his American Green Card.
Prof. Wole Soyinka
A legal luminary, Mr Kayode Ajulo, has cautioned
Nigerian Nobel Literature Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka,
against carrying out his threat to destroy his American
Green Card in protest of Donald Trump’s victory at the
U.S. Presidential election, NAN reports.
Ajulo gave the advice on Thursday in Abuja. It was
reported that Soyinka issued the threat to destroy his
American Citizen’s Card before voting begun in the
keenly contested election between Trump and Hillary
Clinton.
Most people around the World, including some huge
population of Americans, had wished for the Democratic
Party’s candidate to win the race to the White House.
The election of the Republic candidate as the U.S.
President-elect had sent some waves of shock to most
countries. Reacting to the threat, Ajulo warned Soyinka
that he risked a jail term of three to seven years, if he
(Soyinka) cut his green card.
“I have no problem with Kogi; he is an opinion moulder,
an elder statesman and nation builder, who should
know the implication of such act.
“Under the American law losing or having your U.S.
green card destroyed can be a serious problem,’’ he
said.
He said legally such is tagged as wishful destruction of
government’s property. Ajulo said the truth is that
Soyinka is far better and far bigger than that because
such act is provocative and unacceptable.
He stressed that the literary icon is free to leave the
country but does not have to tear the card; instead he
should return the card as required by the law. Ajulo said
the 82-year-old author, who is currently a resident
scholar at New York University’s Institute of African
American Affairs, should know better.
He said it has a lot of implications for Nigerians. Ajulo
said green cards or passports are valuable documents
and should be looked after it with care.
He said mishandling of passport could stop you from
travelling not to talk of destroying green card. Ajulo
described Soyinka as a good ambassador who cares not
just about Nigeria but the world at large, advising him
to keep to it.