Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka Condemns 'Excessive' Security Security Battalion Guarding President Tinubu's Son Seyi: A Battalion Fit for Benin

 

Lagos, December 10, 2025 – Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has launched a scathing attack on what he described as the excessive and embarrassing deployment of heavily armed security personnel to protect Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Speaking at the 20th anniversary of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) Awards held in Lagos on Tuesday, the 90-year-old literary giant recounted a personal encounter that left him stunned. Two months ago, while leaving a hotel in the upscale Ikoyi area, he witnessed what he initially thought was a film shoot — only to discover it was Seyi Tinubu surrounded by what he described as “nearly a whole battalion.”

“I saw the SWAT team, a mixture of heavily armed — at least 15 heavily armed to the teeth — security personnel. It looked sufficient to take over a small neighbouring country like Benin,” Soyinka said.

He told the audience he immediately contacted National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, who was in Paris at the time, to express disbelief that “the child of the Head of State goes around with the Army for his protection.” After conducting what he jokingly called “investigative journalism,” Soyinka confirmed this level of protection is routine for the president’s son.

Linking the incident to Nigeria’s recent deployment of Air Force jets to help crush a coup attempt in Benin, Soyinka said with biting sarcasm: “President Tinubu didn’t have to send the Air Force and Military to deal with the insurrection… Let me tell you where Tinubu should have looked for forces to quell that insurrection — right here in Lagos or in Abuja. The next time the president should just call and say, ‘Seyi, go and quell the rebellion over there.’”

Soyinka argued that such lavish security for a private citizen, especially the adult child of the president, reflects badly on Nigeria’s priorities at a time when ordinary citizens face rampant banditry, kidnapping, and insurgency.

The remarks have ignited intense public debate. Many Nigerians praised Soyinka for speaking truth to power, with social media quickly flooded by clips of his speech under hashtags like #SoyinkaSpeaks and #SeyiBattalion. Others accused him of exaggeration or political bias, pointing out that previous presidents’ children also enjoyed significant protection.

Seyi Tinubu, 39, is a businessman who heads several companies and has increasingly been seen at official events alongside his father. While he holds no formal government position, critics have long raised concerns about his perceived influence and the visible security presence that accompanies him.

The Presidency has not officially responded to Soyinka’s comments as of Wednesday morning. However, sources within security circles say an internal review of VIP protection protocols may be quietly underway.

Soyinka’s criticism comes against the backdrop of President Tinubu’s November 2024 directive ordering the withdrawal of police officers attached to politicians, celebrities, and business figures for redeployment to public security duties. That order was meant to free up thousands of officers for frontline policing, but many observers say implementation has been uneven.

Human rights groups have welcomed Soyinka’s intervention, with some renewing calls for a complete audit of how security resources are allocated in a country where millions live under constant threat from armed groups.

At the same event, Soyinka also condemned recent demolitions in Lagos and urged the media to remain fearless in holding power to account. His remarks on Seyi Tinubu, however, dominated headlines and conversations across Nigeria, underscoring the enduring moral authority of a man who has spent decades challenging every administration since independence.

Whether the criticism leads to any tangible reduction in the security detail around the president’s son remains to be seen, but for now, Wole Soyinka has once again placed a spotlight on one of Nigeria’s most sensitive issues: the vast gap between the protected elite and the vulnerable majority.