Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka has taken aim at what he described as an excessive security convoy attached to Seyi Tinubu, warning that the country’s security architecture risks becoming distorted when national resources appear overly devoted to individuals with no official mandate.
Soyinka voiced his concerns during an award ceremony in Lagos, where he recounted witnessing what he called a “battalion-like escort” surrounding the president’s son during a recent visit to Ikoyi.
He suggested that the scale of security he observed was disproportionate, especially for a private citizen.
Soyinka recounted stepping out of a hotel only to find the grounds occupied by a large number of armed officers, initially mistaking the scene for a film production.
“There were at least 15 heavily armed personnel positioned like a unit ready to take over a small country,” he recalled, adding that the deployment stunned him.
The playwright connected the observation to the wider national conversation on insecurity, hinting that such resources might better serve communities plagued by kidnappings, banditry, and violent extremism.
He referenced the handling of recent unrest in Benin, insisting that the presidency did not need to deploy the Air Force when, in his view, enough firepower appeared to be “attached to one young man”.
“The next time there’s an insurrection, the president should just call that young man and say, Please go and quell the rebellion,” Soyinka remarked pointedly, drawing laughter from the audience.
Moreover, he stated that Nigeria is not the first country with a head of state, emphasising that the children of leaders should avoid projecting the image of parallel authority.
“Children are not heads of state,” he said. “The nation’s security structure suffers when it is seen tilting excessively toward one individual.”
AFRIPOST reports that Soyinka’s comments highlight the growing public scrutiny surrounding privilege and access to state assets in political families.
Analysts say the debate remains central as Nigeria continues to wrestle with insecurity and budget pressures, prompting calls for transparency in the allocation of state protection and resources.