Wole Soyinka Criticizes Seyi Tinubu’s Heavy Security Detail, Urges Review Of State Protection Allocation
Professor Wole Soyinka has raised concerns over the extensive security detail assigned to Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Bola Tinubu, calling for a review of how state protection is allocated in Nigeria. Speaking at the 20th Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism Awards in Lagos on Tuesday, the Nobel laureate recounted a recent encounter at his hotel in Ikoyi, Lagos, that left him shocked. He described witnessing “an excessively large security battalion assigned to a young individual close to the Presidency,” an entourage he said was “sufficient to take over a small country.” Soyinka revealed the young man was Seyi Tinubu. Disturbed by the display, he contacted National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. “I was so astonished that I started looking for the national security adviser. I said track him down for me. I think they got him somewhere in Paris. But he was with the president; he was in a meeting. Then I said I’ve just seen something I can’t believe and I described the scene to him. I said, do you mean that a child of the head of state goes around with an army for his protection or whatever? I couldn’t believe it,” Soyinka said. After further investigation, Soyinka learned that Seyi Tinubu routinely moves with a battalion of heavily armed soldiers. He emphasized that “children must understand their place. They are not elected leaders, and they must not inherit the architecture of state power simply by proximity.” At the same event, which also honoured veteran poet Odia Ofeimum and others, Soyinka urged President Tinubu to reconsider the size of Seyi’s security detail, noting that such resources are urgently needed elsewhere. Humorously, he remarked that if a major insurgency were to occur, perhaps Seyi could “go and handle it,” given the size of his escort, but added, “beyond the humour lies a serious matter of priority and fairness.” Soyinka warned that concentrating a battalion of operatives around one individual is inconsistent with the country’s security needs, particularly as Nigeria grapples with kidnappings, rural attacks, insurgency, and other criminal violence. “Security deployments must reflect national realities, not privilege,” he stressed. He also addressed the media, praising journalists for their resilience while urging stronger editorial discipline in an era of rising misinformation. “The next great conflict may well be triggered by the misuse of social platforms,” Soyinka cautioned, calling for renewed commitment to truth and verification, and describing credible journalism as one of Nigeria’s strongest defenses against chaos. The four-minute, 25-second video of Soyinka’s remarks, shared on X by #Nigeriastories on Tuesday night, has gone viral, sparking widespread discussion about privilege, state security, and the responsibilities of children of public officials.
