Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has expressed alarm over what he described as an excessively large security detail attached to Seyi Tinubu, son of President Bola Tinubu.
In a video making the rounds on X, Soyinka recounted his surprise after encountering what he said appeared to be a “small battalion” of armed operatives escorting Seyi during a visit to a hotel in Ikoyi, Lagos.
According to him, the sheer number of security personnel on the scene initially led him to believe a movie was being shot.
“I genuinely thought they were filming something. The number of armed men was unbelievable,” Soyinka said.
He explained that it only became clear the gathering was not a film set after a young man — later identified as Seyi Tinubu — stepped away from the group and greeted him courteously.
“A young man came over and greeted me, very polite, very nice. That was when I asked if they were shooting a film, and he said no,” Soyinka narrated.
The Nobel Laureate said he was stunned to learn the entire formation was Seyi’s personal escort.
“I was told this is how the young man moves around. I couldn’t believe that a child of the head of state goes around with an army for his protection,” he said.
Soyinka added that the scene disturbed him so much that he attempted to reach the National Security Adviser to report his concerns.
“I asked them to track him down for me. I described what I saw and asked if this is normal,” he noted.
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He argued that deploying such a massive security presence for the president’s son sends a troubling message and reflects poorly on national priorities.
“Children should know their place. They are not heads of state. The security architecture of a nation suffers when so many troops are assigned to one young individual,” he said.
Soyinka also made a pointed joke about the size of the escort.
“With the kind of troops I saw around him, the president might as well send the young man to quell any future unrest. He already has enough troops under his command,” he quipped.
The development has sparked renewed debate online over the use of state security resources for members of the First Family.