Wole Soyinka, the Nobel laureate, has criticised what he described as a disproportionately large security detail assigned to Seyi Tinubu, son of the President, calling the deployment a sign of misaligned national priorities. The remarks came during the 20th edition of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) Awards held in Lagos.
Soyinka recounted seeing what appeared to be a “battalion-size” escort around Seyi Tinubu at a hotel in Ikoyi, Lagos, an armed presence he said was enough to “take over a small country.” He questioned the justification for allocating such resources to an individual who does not hold public office, arguing that the country’s limited security assets should be directed toward pressing national threats such as insurgency, kidnapping, and widespread insecurity across Nigeria.
The critique sparked broader debate about fairness, accountability, and the appropriate use of state security mechanisms. Soyinka urged the government to reassess how security resources are distributed, warning that privileging private individuals undermines public trust and compromises national security architecture.
