Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has condemned what he described as the excessive and misplaced deployment of armed security personnel assigned to members of President Bola Tinubu’s family, warning that such practices undermine Nigeria’s already strained security infrastructure.
Speaking at the 20th Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) Awards in Lagos on Tuesday, the eminent playwright recounted a recent encounter at a hotel in Ikoyi where he observed what he termed an “army-like formation” guarding the president’s son, Seyi Tinubu.
Soyinka explained that he initially mistook the scene for a movie set due to the sheer number of heavily armed officers positioned around the premises.
“A young man walked up politely and greeted me,” he said. “When I asked if a film was being shot, he said no. I looked around and saw almost a whole battalion occupying the hotel grounds.”
He later learned from his driver that the individual in question was Seyi Tinubu, prompting further concern.
“There were about 15 heavily armed operatives—SWAT-level, fully kitted,” Soyinka said. “They looked capable of taking over a small neighbouring country like Benin.”
Disturbed by the sight, Soyinka said he immediately attempted to reach the National Security Adviser (NSA) to ascertain whether such a deployment was officially sanctioned.
“I asked if it was true a child of the head of state moves around with an army. I couldn’t believe it,” he added.
In a pointed remark, Soyinka said the federal government might not need to deploy the military to quell unrest in the region when such a force already escorts the president’s son.
“Next time there’s an uprising, the president should simply call Seyi and say, ‘Go and put those people down — you have troops under your command,’” he said sarcastically.
He stressed that while presidents have families, national security architecture should never be distorted to accommodate personal privilege.
“Children should know their place. They are not heads of state,” Soyinka cautioned. “Allocating such heavy security to one individual undermines the country’s priorities.”
Soyinka’s comments add to growing public debate over the scale of state resources dedicated to individuals in the political class amid ongoing security challenges nationwide.
