According to a report by Vanguard on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, Wole Soyinka, Nobel laureate, on Tuesday raised concerns over what he described as an unusual level of security presence assigned to the family of President Bola Tinubu, saying the scale of deployment does not align with the country’s security priorities.
He made the remarks at the 20th Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism Awards held in Lagos, where he shared details of a recent experience that prompted his observation.
The literary figure recounted a visit to a hotel in Ikoyi where he said he encountered a large number of armed security operatives stationed around the facility.
He said that the size of the team made him believe at first that a film crew was working on a production, as the level of activity suggested a coordinated operation, he later learned that the security presence was linked to the movement of the president’s son.
Soyinka noted that the volume of personnel he saw appeared excessive for the purpose they were assigned, stressing that the country faces more urgent security challenges that require strategic allocation of resources.
He said the deployment raised questions about how security units are assigned and whether such concentration of operatives serves the broader interests of national safety.
He added that the readiness and formation of the team showed a level of organisation that could be useful in confronting serious security issues across the country.
According to him, the number of operatives at the location resembled a structure more suited for a major intervention rather than a routine assignment involving the family of a public officeholder.
Soyinka stated that such deployments create an impression that significant security assets are tied down to responsibilities that do not necessarily match the scale or urgency of the nation’s wider security concerns.
He maintained that this situation highlights the need for a review of how security resources are distributed, especially at a time when communities in different regions are calling for stronger protection.
Soyinka, while reflecting on the incident, said the level of organisation he witnessed suggests that the country already possesses the capacity to respond swiftly to serious threats if resources are properly channelled.
He concluded that the presence of such a large team around the president’s family member illustrates the importance of ensuring that security assignments are guided by national priorities rather than individual considerations, bringing the introduction to a close.
He said: “Tinubu didn’t have to send the air force or military to deal with any insurrection. There is an easier way.
“Next time there’s an uprising, the president should call that young man and say, ‘Seyi, go and put down those stupid people there. You have troops under your command.
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