Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has criticised what he described as an excessive deployment of security personnel around Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu, warning that such use of state power reflects misplaced priorities amid Nigeria’s security challenges.
Soyinka spoke on Monday in Lagos at the 20th Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism Awards, where he recounted a recent encounter in Ikoyi that left him disturbed by what he saw as an extravagant show of state protection around a private individual.
According to the literary icon, he was shocked to observe “a security presence large enough to take over a small country” escorting a young man in the area.
“I was astonished to see an excessively large security battalion assigned to a young individual close to the Presidency,” Soyinka said. “Children must understand their place.
They are not elected leaders, and they must not inherit the architecture of state power simply by proximity.”
He said he later discovered that the individual was Seyi Tinubu and noted that the incident prompted him to raise concerns directly with the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
In further remarks at the event, Soyinka urged President Tinubu to reassess the level of security attached to his son, stressing that such personnel are urgently needed in communities grappling with insecurity.
“If a serious insurgency breaks out somewhere, perhaps Seyi should be asked to go and handle it, judging by the size of the escort around him,” Soyinka said, adding quickly that “beyond the humour lies a serious issue of fairness and priority.”
He warned that concentrating a large number of operatives around one individual was difficult to justify in a country battling kidnappings, insurgency, and widespread criminal violence.
“Security deployment must reflect national realities, not privilege,” he said.
Soyinka also used the platform to comment on broader national and regional issues.
He cautioned against Nigeria’s alleged involvement in a recently stalled coup attempt in neighbouring Benin Republic, describing it as an unnecessary military entanglement.
“Instability in neighbouring countries inevitably spills over. What happens in Benin affects us directly,” he warned, urging Nigeria to prioritise strengthening democratic institutions over military adventurism.
On domestic matters, the Nobel Laureate criticised ongoing demolitions in parts of Lagos, saying urban development should not come at the cost of human dignity.
“Even when reforms are necessary, we must not strip away the humanity of those affected,” he said, calling for evacuation and resettlement processes that protect vulnerable people.
Turning to the media, Soyinka praised journalists for their resilience but warned of the dangers of misinformation in the digital age.
“The next major conflict may well be triggered by the misuse of social platforms,” he said, stressing that credible, well-edited journalism remains one of Nigeria’s strongest defences against chaos.
