Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka has expressed shock over what he described as an unusually heavy security presence assigned to President Bola Tinubu’s son, Seyi.
The acclaimed writer made the remarks at the 20th Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism Awards in Lagos on Tuesday.
His comments drew attention because they came from someone often regarded as a strong voice on national issues.
Moreover, the incident he described appeared unexpected, even by Nigerian standards, where political families often receive notable protection.
Soyinka explained that the moment left him unsettled, especially because the number of armed officers he saw seemed far beyond normal.
According to him, the level of force deployed around Seyi Tinubu looked “sufficient to take over a small neighbouring country.”
The issue has now sparked renewed reservations about how security resources are used during a period of rising public safety concerns.
During his speech, Soyinka recalled walking out of a hotel in Ikoyi when he noticed what looked like a movie set.
He said the young man stepped forward to greet him politely, but the surrounding scene appeared alarming.
“I looked around and there was nearly a whole battalion occupying the ground of that hotel in Ikoyi,” he said.
Furthermore, Soyinka said he later discovered that the security team consisted of a mix of SWAT officers and heavily armed soldiers.
He stressed that at least 15 were carrying full combat weapons. “I saw the SWAT team, a mixture of heavily armed, at least 15 heavily armed to the teeth security personnel,” he recounted.
The Nobel laureate added that he reached out to the National Security Adviser after seeing the display.
“I said track him down for me and they tracked him in Paris and I said ‘I have just seen something I can’t believe,’”he explained.
He also questioned why the child of a head of state would move with such a large military presence.
Meanwhile, Soyinka offered a sarcastic suggestion that the president should simply deploy his son to end any rebellion since the security attached to him appeared more than enough.
“I think the next time the president should just call and say ‘Seyi go and quell the rebellion over there’,” he said.
The remarks have since triggered conversations online, especially among Nigerians questioning the country’s budget for public security.
This conversation has drawn phrases such as Soyinka criticizes Seyi Tinubu security, especially on social platforms, where many users say the issue raises broader worries about fairness, accountability, and national priorities.
Therefore, the debate continues to gain traction as citizens seek more clarity on why such deployments are necessary.
