Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for Nigeria’s military involvement in the recently foiled coup attempt in the Republic of Benin, warning that such actions risk destabilising the region.
Speaking in Lagos during the 20th Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) Awards, Soyinka cautioned that Nigeria must avoid “unnecessary military entanglements” and instead focus on strengthening democratic safeguards at home.
According to him, instability in neighbouring countries inevitably affects Nigeria.
“What happens in Benin inevitably affects us. Instability anywhere in the region echoes across our own sense of security,” he said.
Soyinka also criticised the wave of property demolitions across Lagos, lamenting the “inhumane” treatment of displaced residents.
He said he had reviewed images and testimonies of families left homeless, warning that the recurring pattern lacked empathy.
While acknowledging the need to address unsafe structures and flood zones, he insisted that evacuations must be carried out with compassion and proper resettlement measures.
The Nobel laureate further recounted witnessing an unusually large security convoy assigned to a young individual close to the Presidency an entourage he described as “large enough to take over a small country.”
He said he attempted to reach the National Security Adviser to understand why a non-official enjoyed such a powerful security detail.
“Children must understand their place. They are not elected leaders and must not inherit the architecture of state power by proximity,” he warned.
Turning to the media, Soyinka commended Nigerian journalists for resilience but urged stronger editorial discipline in an era he said is polluted by misinformation.
He warned that unchecked social media falsehoods could trigger global conflict, insisting that credible journalism remains Nigeria’s strongest safeguard against chaos.