Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, has raised concerns over what he described as an excessive and alarming deployment of security operatives attached to the family of President Bola Tinubu, cautioning that such overreach undermines Nigeria’s true security needs.
Speaking at the 20th Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) Awards in Lagos on Tuesday, the playwright recounted his startling encounter with what appeared to be a “military-grade” security detail surrounding the president’s son, Seyi Tinubu, at a hotel in Ikoyi.
Soyinka said he initially mistook the scene for a film production due to the number of heavily armed officers stationed around the premises.
> “I was coming out of my hotel, and I saw what looked like a film set,” he said.
“A young man greeted me politely. When I asked if they were shooting a film, he said no. I looked around and nearly a whole
According to him, about 15 heavily armed operatives formed the security ring, leaving him stunned.
> “They looked capable of taking over a small neighbouring country,” Soyinka remarked, half in disbelief.
Disturbed by the spectacle, the iconic writer said he attempted to reach the National Security Adviser (NSA) to confirm whether such a deployment was officially sanctioned.
> “Do you mean the child of a head of state goes around with an army?” he recalled asking.
“I couldn’t believe it.”
With a touch of sarcasm, Soyinka suggested that if the presidency ever faced an uprising, it could simply dispatch Seyi Tinubu and his elite security team.
> “The president should just say, ‘Seyi, go and put down those troublemakers. You have troops under your command.’”
He warned that while leaders naturally have families, the privileges afforded them must never distort national security priorities.
Children should know their place
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