Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has raised concerns over what he described as an “excessively large” security details assigned to Seyi, the son of President Bola Tinubu, arguing that state protection should reflect national priorities rather than privilege.
Speaking at the 20th Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism Awards in Lagos on Tuesday, the Nobel laureate recounted a recent encounter in his Ikoyi hotel room where he was stunned by the size of Seyi’s security entourage.
“I was so astonished that I started looking for the National Security Adviser,” Soyinka said.
“Children must understand their place. They are not elected leaders and must not inherit the architecture of state power simply by proximity.”
He urged President Tinubu to reconsider the scale of security resources around his son, noting that such personnel were urgently needed elsewhere.
Soyinka humorously remarked that if a major insurgency broke out, perhaps Seyi should “go and handle it,” given the size of his escort, but stressed that the issue highlights a serious matter of fairness and national priority.
Beyond the security concern, Soyinka also cautioned against Nigeria’s involvement in the recently halted coup attempt in Benin, calling it “another unnecessary military entanglement” and warning that instability in neighbouring countries inevitably affects Nigeria’s own security.
On domestic issues, he criticised ongoing demolitions in Lagos, stressing the need to protect the dignity of displaced families even amid urban reforms.
He also praised journalists for their resilience and urged them to exercise stronger editorial discipline in the fight against misinformation.
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