Tinubu Should Have Asked His Son to Quell Benin Insurrection, Soyinka Says as He Decries Seyi Tinubu’s Heavy Security Escort

Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka has sharply criticised the scale of security protection attached to Seyi Tinubu, saying the size of the escort raises questions about the use of state resources at a time of heightened national insecurity. His remarks, delivered at the 20th Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism Awards in Lagos, have triggered wide debate after a video from the event circulated on X.

Soyinka recounted a recent encounter in Ikoyi that he described as startling. According to him, he saw “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.” When he later learned the individual was Seyi Tinubu, he said he immediately contacted National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu out of concern.

“I was astonished,” Soyinka said. “Children must understand their place. They are not elected leaders, and they must not inherit the architecture of state power simply by proximity.”

He added that if such a convoy truly reflects the security priority assigned to Seyi, then “in the event of a major insurgency, perhaps the President should ask him to go and handle it,” stressing that the remark was humorous only on the surface. “Beyond the humour lies a serious matter of priority and fairness,” he said.

Soyinka argued that concentrating a “battalion” of operatives around one individual is inconsistent with the reality of a country facing persistent kidnappings, rural attacks and organised criminal violence. He urged a reassessment of how security personnel are allocated, insisting that “security deployments must reflect national realities, not privilege.”

In the same video footage, he also criticised Nigeria’s newly halted involvement in the coup attempt in the Republic of Benin, describing it as “another unnecessary military entanglement next door.” He warned that instability in neighbouring countries inevitably affects Nigeria and said the government should prioritise strengthening democratic institutions instead of defaulting to military responses.

“What happens in Benin inevitably affects us,” he said. “Instability anywhere in the region echoes across our own sense of security.”

Soyinka further turned his attention to domestic issues, condemning the wave of demolitions across Lagos. He said he had personally received images and testimonies from displaced residents and stressed that even when urban reforms are necessary, they must be carried out with sensitivity.

“Let us not strip away the humanity of the people affected,” he said, urging authorities to adopt evacuation procedures that protect vulnerable families.

He also addressed journalists at the event, praising their persistence while calling for stronger editorial discipline in an era of rampant misinformation. He warned that “the next great conflict may well be triggered by the misuse of social platforms,” urging renewed commitment to verification and truth.

The video of his remarks, posted on Tuesday night, has continued to circulate on X and has drawn wide public commentary on governance and accountability. As of late Tuesday, the Presidency had yet to issue any response, and no official confirmation has been provided regarding the identity of the individual in the convoy Soyinka described.