Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to review the excessive deployment of security personnel attached to his son Seyi Tinubu, saying such practices undermine Nigeria’s security architecture.
Speaking at an event in Lagos, Soyinka said that President Tinubu didn’t have to send the Air Force and Military to stop the coup in Benin but he should have sent his son, Seyi Tinubu instead.
He recounted an incident he witnessed about two months ago during a visit to a hotel. According to him, the hotel premises appeared to be occupied by what looked like a “battalion” of heavily armed security operatives.
Soyinka said a polite young man had stepped away from the group to greet him, prompting him to inquire about the scene. His driver later informed him of the young man’s identity, allegedly revealing he was a child of the President.
The writer said he was shocked by the security detail’s size, describing it as a force “sufficient to take over a small country.” He added that the road was cleared before the convoy departed, further reinforcing his concern about the scale of protection being provided.
Disturbed by the display, Soyinka said he attempted to contact the National Security Adviser, who at the time was reportedly in Paris with the President to express his disbelief. He said subsequent inquiries confirmed that the young man routinely travelled with such a large armed escort.
Soyinka noted that the nation’s security resources should not be disproportionately allocated to individuals who do not hold public office. He suggested, with irony, that if another insurrection were to occur, the President could simply dispatch his son’s security team to quell the unrest.
He made the remarks at the center named in his honour, noting that as someone frequently in and out of the country, he felt compelled to speak candidly about what he witnessed.
“Tinubu didn’t have to send the Air Force and the military to deal with this particular insurrection, this threat to our sense of security and equilibrium. There are easier ways of doing it. Let me tell you where Tinubu should have looked for forces to quell that insurrection, it’s right here in Lagos or Abuja, perhaps.
“This is not the first country to have a head of state with a family. Children should know their place. They are not potentates, they are not heads of state. The country’s security system suffers when so much is devoted to one young individual.
“The security architecture of a nation like this suffers some injury and alienation when we see such a heavy devotion of security to one young individual. You’ll excuse me, but I’m in and out most of the time.”, he said.
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