‎Soyinka slams ‘Battalion-Level’ security for Seyi Tinubu ‎

‎Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka has issued a fiery warning to President Bola Tinubu, condemning what he called the “outrageously bloated” security escort assigned to the President’s son, Seyi Tinubu — a display he said could “take over a small country.”
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‎Speaking at the 20th Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism Awards in Lagos on Monday, Soyinka recounted a recent encounter in Ikoyi that left him “astonished and disturbed” by what he described as a moving fortress surrounding a young man “close to the Presidency.” The viral 4-minute, 25-second clip shared by #Nigeriastories on X has since amplified the outrage.
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‎According to Soyinka, the mystery VIP with the massive convoy turned out to be Seyi Tinubu, a discovery he said troubled him enough to immediately reach out to National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
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‎“Children must understand their place. They are not elected leaders, and they must not inherit the architecture of state power simply by proximity,” he warned.
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‎Soyinka stressed that Nigeria’s scarce security resources cannot be trapped in the service of privilege, especially when citizens across the country face kidnappings, insurgency, banditry, and rural terror.
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‎In a mix of humour and pointed critique, he quipped that if a major insurgency were to break out, perhaps the President should send Seyi to handle it — since he appears to travel with the manpower to “launch a small military operation.” But, he added, “beyond the humour lies a serious matter of priority and fairness.”
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‎The literary icon further urged the media to reinforce editorial discipline in an age of weaponised misinformation, warning that “the next great conflict may well be triggered by reckless use of social platforms.” Credible journalism, he said, remains one of Nigeria’s last lines of defence against national chaos.
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