Wole Soyinka Nigeria’s veteran playwright and Nobel laureate has sharply criticized Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s decision to send Nigerian military forces into the Benin Republic, calling the deployment “unnecessary” and a troubling reflection of misplaced priorities.
Soyinka made the remarks at a public event in Lagos, recounting how he recently observed heavy-armed security personnel surrounding Tinubu’s son during a hotel stay, a show of force he likened to the kind of military mobilization that could quash a coup.
He argued that if such a security detail can be reserved for the leader’s family, then deploying state military assets abroad especially when domestic security remains fragile amounts to “overkill.” As he put it: Nigeria didn’t need to wage war in Benin, “the problem is right here,” implying the government ought to prioritise domestic security.
Soyinka’s comments echo concerns from civil-society activists and some legal experts who question the legal basis and domestic implications of foreign military deployment, even if such intervention is framed as support for regional constitutional order
