Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka has criticized the heavy security deployment attached to President Bola Tinubu’s son, describing it as excessive and reflective of Nigeria’s misplaced priorities. Speaking at the 20th Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism Awards in Lagos on Tuesday, December 9, the renowned writer recounted witnessing a massive armed presence surrounding Seyi Tinubu at an Ikoyi hotel two months ago.
Soyinka said he initially mistook the scene for a film production due to the sheer number of armed personnel present. He counted at least 15 heavily armed security officials accompanying the younger Tinubu, a detail he described as sufficient to take over a small neighboring country. The experience left him so disturbed that he contacted National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, who was attending meetings in Paris at the time, to express his concerns.
The 1986 Nobel Prize winner connected his observation to Nigeria’s recent military deployment to Benin Republic following a failed coup attempt there on December 7. Soyinka suggested sarcastically that rather than sending the air force and military across the border, President Tinubu could have deployed his son’s security detail to address the situation. His remarks highlighted what he sees as a dangerous misallocation of security resources in a country struggling with widespread insecurity, including banditry, kidnapping and insurgency.
The criticism comes weeks after President Tinubu ordered the withdrawal of police officers assigned to very important persons across Nigeria, directing them to refocus on core public safety duties. The presidential directive stated that VIPs requiring personal protection must now request armed personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps rather than the police force.
During his speech, Soyinka emphasized that presidential children must understand their place and should not inherit state power structures simply through proximity to leadership. He warned that concentrating substantial security forces around one individual contradicts national needs when Nigeria faces mounting security challenges across multiple regions.
The veteran playwright also used the occasion to criticize Lagos state demolitions and Nigeria’s military involvement in the Benin Republic situation. He called for urban reforms to be conducted with humanity and dignity, after receiving reports of displaced families and traumatized residents.
Nigeria’s worsening insecurity has put enormous pressure on the country’s already overstretched security forces, with significant numbers assigned to protect private individuals rather than focusing on public safety. Soyinka’s comments have sparked widespread discussion about governance, accountability and the appropriate use of state resources in Nigeria.
As of Tuesday night, no official response had been issued from the presidency regarding Soyinka’s observations. The four-minute video of his remarks has circulated widely on social media, generating substantial public commentary about security priorities and governance in Africa’s most populous nation.
