Professor Wole Soyinka has criticised what he described as an unnecessary and excessive security presence around the family of President Bola Tinubu, calling it a troubling reflection of Nigeria’s security priorities.
Speaking at the 20th Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism Awards in Lagos on Tuesday, December 9, Soyinka recounted witnessing what he believed was an overwhelming number of armed security personnel assigned to the president’s son at a hotel in Ikoyi.
He said the sheer volume of protection was so disproportionate that it could “suppress an insurrection in the Benin Republic,” questioning why such resources were being deployed for personal comfort rather than for national safety.
Soyinka added that the display highlighted deeper issues within Nigeria’s security architecture, stressing the need for a system that prioritizes citizens’ safety over political privilege.