By Erewunmi Peace

Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has criticised what he described as an unnecessarily large and heavily armed security escort accompanying Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Soyinka made the comments during an encounter at an Ikoyi hotel, where he said he observed “about 15 heavily armed” security operatives surrounding Seyi. According to him, the scene was so intense that he initially mistook it for a movie production set.

The literary icon expressed concern over what he called the misuse of state security resources, especially at a time when Nigeria faces widespread insecurity.

“Security assets meant to protect the nation are being diverted to guard individuals who hold no public office,” Soyinka said, warning that such actions undermine public confidence and distort national security priorities.

Reports from multiple reputable media outlets confirm Soyinka’s remarks. However, the exact number and identity of the security personnel have not been independently verified. As of now, the Presidency has not issued any statement addressing the criticism or clarifying the purpose of the security deployment around Seyi Tinubu.

Soyinka’s comments have sparked widespread online debate, with many Nigerians questioning whether such a security presence for a private citizen is justified.