- Safiu Kehinde
Nigerian Nobel Laurette, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has taunted Seyi Tinubu’s heavy security detail, stressing that President Bola Tinubu should have sent his son to quell the Benin Republic’s coup plot.
Soyinka made the remark during his address at a sideline event ahead of the 20th Wole Soyinka Awards for Investigative Reporting.
The Nobel Laurette stated this while recounting his encounter with the security aides attached to Seyi.
He narrated how he had spotted about 15 heavily armed security personnel around a hotel where he lodged in Ikoyi area of Lagos.
In what he initially thought was a movie set, Soyinka expressed his surprise after discovering that they were all attached to Seyi Tinubu who was also at the hotel for an event.
The literature guru held that the security detail of the President’s son is enough to stop the Benin military coup plot.
“Tinubu didn’t have to send the Air Force and the military to deal with this particular insurrection.
“There is a way to do it. Let me tell where Tinubu should have looked for Forces to quell that insurrection. It is right here in Lagos or in Abuja.
“There is no need to call the military or the Air Force.
“In one of my home visits about two months ago, I was coming out of my hotel, and I saw what looked like a film set. And I said, ‘oh they are shooting a film!’
“It was on the ground surface of the hotel. And the young man detached himself from the actors; came over and greeted me very politely. I said, ‘are you shooting somebody?’- I was just joking. I said, ‘Are you shooting a film?’ He said no.
“I looked around and there was nearly a whole battalion occupying the ground of the hotel in Ikoyi right here. I got back in my car, and I asked the driver who that young man was.
“I saw this SWAT team. They were at least 15 heavily armed to the teeth security personnel. They look sufficient to take over a small country and neighbouring city like Benin.
“And I think the next time, the President should just call and say ‘Seyi, go and quell the rebellion over there.’ I was so astonished that I started looking for the national security adviser and said track him down for me.
“I think they got him somewhere in Paris, but he was with the President at a meeting. I said I’m just seeing something I can’t believe and don’t understand. And I described the scene to him.
I said do you mean that a child of the Head of States goes around with an army for his protection? I couldn’t believe it.
“I did some investigative journalism, and I discovered this is how this young man goes around with this battalion of heavy armed soldiers.
“The road was cleared before his car went out and I stayed until he was leaving.
“So, next time there is any insurrection, I think the President should just call that young man saying ‘Go and pull down those stupid people there. You have enough troops under your command. So don’t bother me with all these issues any longer.'” He said.
Soyinka faulted the attachment of such amount of security personnel to the President’s son which he considered too excessive.
“Let’s not overdo things. This is not the first country that has a Head of State. This is not the first country whose Head of State has family. And I think children should know their place.
“They are not Head of States and the security architecture of a nation like this suffers some terrible injury and alienation when we see such a heavy devotion of security to one young individual.” He said.