Soyinka Chides Seyi Tinubu Over Heavy Security, Mocks Government Response to Benin Coup Attempt

Soyinka Chides Seyi Tinubu Over Heavy Security, Mocks Government Response to Benin Coup Attempt

Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has issued a pointed rebuke regarding the heavy security presence surrounding Seyi Tinubu son of Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, cautioning that excessive displays of force are unnecessary and potentially harmful.

Soyinka made the remarks on the sidelines of the 20th Wole Soyinka Awards for Investigative Reporting held in Lagos, where he addressed journalists and attendees.

Reacting to reports and viral footage of Seyi Tinubu moving around with a large contingent of armed security operatives, Soyinka advised restraint.

“Let’s not overdo things,” he warned, criticising the optics and implications of such displays of power.

In a sharply delivered quip, Soyinka referenced Nigeria’s decision to dispatch Air Force and military assets in response to the attempted coup in the Republic of Benin, suggesting instead that the president’s son should have been sent.

“President Tinubu didn’t have to send the Air Force and Military to stop the coup in Benin, he should have sent his son, Seyi Tinubu instead.”

Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka chides Seyi Tinubu’s use of heavy security, warning: “Let’s not overdo things.”

He said this on the… pic.twitter.com/88KJo3kcrN

— Nifemi Oguntoye🇳🇬 (@nifemioguntoye) December 9, 2025

“President Tinubu didn’t have to send the Air Force and Military to stop the coup in Benin,”Soyinka joked.

“He should have sent his son, Seyi Tinubu instead.”