Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over Nigeria’s military involvement in the recently halted coup attempt in the Republic of Benin.
Speaking yesterday in Lagos at the 20th Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) Awards, Soyinka warned that such actions carry serious implications for regional stability and Nigeria’s own security posture.
Delivering a reflective address that touched on governance, human rights, security excesses, and the dangers of misinformation, Soyinka expressed concern over what he described as “another unnecessary military entanglement next door.
He said the attempted coup in Benin should be a lesson for Nigeria to strengthen democratic safeguards rather than deploy troops reflexively.
He cautioned that instability in neighbouring states inevitably reverberates within Nigeria, adding: “What happens in Benin inevitably affects us. Instability anywhere in the region echoes across our own sense of security.”
Soyinka also criticised the widespread demolitions that have taken place across Lagos in recent months, describing the treatment of displaced residents as lacking empathy and basic human dignity.
He noted that he had received photographs and testimonies of families rendered homeless and said the pattern of displacement had become disturbingly routine.
While acknowledging the need to remove structurally unsafe buildings or address flood-prone areas, he stressed that such actions must be carried out with humane evacuation procedures and proper consideration for vulnerable residents.
“Let us not strip away the humanity of the people affected,” he said, adding that development must never be implemented without compassion.
The Nobel laureate further recounted witnessing what appeared to be an excessively large security battalion assigned to a young individual close to the Presidency, an entourage he said was “sufficient to take over a small country.”
He argued that such displays of force raise troubling questions about power, privilege and the misuse of state security resources.
“I was astonished,” he said, explaining that he attempted to contact the National Security Adviser to understand why a non-office holder required such an intimidating escort.
“Children must understand their place. They are not elected leaders, and they must not inherit the architecture of state power simply by proximity.”
Turning to the media, Soyinka praised journalists for their resilience in holding power to account but urged the profession to strengthen editorial discipline in a climate he described as polluted by misinformation.
He warned that unchecked social media falsehoods could escalate global tensions, saying “the next great conflict may well be triggered by the misuse of social platforms.”
He called for renewed commitment to truth, verification, and professional standards, asserting that credible journalism remains one of the nation’s strongest defences against chaos.
