By Peace Erewunmi

Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to fulfil his earlier promise of reopening investigations into unresolved assassinations, extrajudicial killings and other cases of injustice across Nigeria. He urged the Federal Government to make public the findings of any investigations already conducted and ensure that justice is served.

Soyinka made the appeal during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture Series, organised by the National Association of Seadogs (Pirates Confraternity) in Port Harcourt. The event, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” focused on strengthening justice, accountability and democratic governance in Nigeria.

Recalling President Tinubu’s remarks shortly after assuming office in 2023, Soyinka said the President had requested files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings. He questioned the status of those investigations and urged the government to disclose what had become of the cases.

«”What has happened to those files? We want to know what happened, why it happened,” Soyinka said, stressing that Nigerians deserve justice and accountability.»

The playwright also condemned what he described as selective justice, citing unresolved cases such as the killing of Deborah Samuel, the Sokoto student lynched in 2022 over allegations of blasphemy, and the recent police shooting of Mene Ogidi in Delta State. He argued that all perpetrators of unlawful killings, regardless of status or affiliation, should be brought to justice.

Soyinka maintained that restoring public confidence in Nigeria’s justice system requires transparency, equal application of the law and a firm commitment to ending impunity. He urged citizens to continue demanding accountability while calling on government institutions to ensure that unresolved cases are not forgotten.