Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has called on President Bola Tinubu to exercise caution in handling regional security, domestic governance, and the deployment of state protection for individuals close to him.
Speaking at the 20th Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism Awards in Lagos on Monday, Soyinka recounted a recent encounter in Ikoyi, Lagos State, which left him alarmed at what he described as an extravagant display of state security.
The remarks were captured in a four-minute, 25-second video shared by #Nigeriastories on X on Tuesday night, which has since gone viral.
Soyinka revealed seeing “an excessively large security battalion assigned to a young individual close to the Presidency,” an escort he said was “sufficient to take over a small country.” The young man, Soyinka discovered, was Seyi Tinubu, the President’s son.
“I was astonished,” Soyinka said, adding, “children must understand their place. They are not elected leaders, and they must not inherit the architecture of state power simply by proximity.” He further disclosed that the matter prompted him to contact National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
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Highlighting the broader implications, Soyinka urged President Tinubu to reconsider the size of Seyi’s security detail, noting that such resources are urgently needed elsewhere. He jokingly remarked that if a major insurgency were to break out, perhaps Seyi could “go and handle it,” given the scale of his escort. However, he stressed that “beyond the humour lies a serious matter of priority and fairness,” warning that concentrating a battalion of operatives around one person is inconsistent with a nation grappling with kidnappings, rural attacks, insurgency, and criminal violence.
On the media, Soyinka commended journalists for their resilience while calling for stricter editorial discipline amid rising misinformation. “The next great conflict may well be triggered by the misuse of social platforms,” he said, emphasizing that credible journalism remains one of Nigeria’s strongest defences against chaos.
The video, shared at around 10:18 pm on Tuesday, had amassed over 27,000 views, 466 reposts, and 81 quotes.
Soyinka also expressed concern over Nigeria’s involvement in the recently halted coup attempt in the Republic of Benin, describing it as “another unnecessary military entanglement next door.” He argued that Nigeria should instead focus on strengthening democratic institutions, warning that instability in neighbouring countries inevitably affects national security. “What happens in Benin inevitably affects us. Instability anywhere in the region echoes across our own sense of security,” he noted.
Turning to domestic issues, Soyinka criticised the ongoing demolitions in Lagos, highlighting the plight of displaced families. “Let us not strip away the humanity of the people affected,” he said, urging that urban reforms, even when necessary, must be implemented with measures that protect the vulnerable.