Soyinka Faults Tinubu Over Nigeria’s Military Role In Benin Republic Crisis

Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has faulted President Bola Tinubu’s handling of Nigeria’s military involvement in the recently thwarted coup attempt in the Republic of Benin.

Speaking in Lagos on Monday at the 20th Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) Awards, Soyinka warned that the intervention carried serious consequences for West Africa’s stability and Nigeria’s security outlook.

He described the move as “another unnecessary military entanglement next door,” insisting that the episode should push Nigeria to strengthen democratic institutions rather than deploy troops at the slightest provocation.

Soyinka maintained that unrest in neighbouring countries ultimately spills into Nigeria, saying: “What happens in Benin inevitably affects us. Instability anywhere in the region echoes across our own sense of security.”

He also took aim at recent building demolitions in Lagos State, lamenting the displacement of residents and accusing authorities of failing to act with empathy.

While admitting that unsafe or flood-prone structures may require removal, he stressed that evacuations must be humane: “Let us not strip away the humanity of the people affected. Development must never be implemented without compassion.”

The Nobel laureate further raised concerns over what he described as an excessively large security escort assigned to a young individual close to the Presidency, an entourage he said was “sufficient to take over a small country.”

He questioned why someone without public office should command such a display of force, adding: “Children must understand their place. They are not elected leaders, and they must not inherit the architecture of state power simply by proximity.”

Turning to the media, Soyinka commended journalists for their resilience but urged stronger editorial discipline amid rising misinformation. He warned that unchecked falsehoods on social media could trigger global conflict.

“The next great conflict may well be triggered by the misuse of social platforms,” he cautioned, calling for renewed commitment to truth, verification, and professionalism as Nigeria’s best defence against chaos.