Nobel Prize winner Wole Soyinka has asked President Bola Tinubu to look into unsolved cases of assassinations and extrajudicial killings. He believes this will help rebuild public trust in Nigeria’s justice system.
Mr Soyinka, who is also a professor, made this appeal on Friday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. He spoke during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture organized by the National Association of Seadogs (Pirates Confraternity).
The theme of the lecture was “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage.” It also marked the group’s annual Martyrs’ Day.
Mr Soyinka pointed out that Nigeria has a long history of wrongful arrests, unlawful detentions, unsolved assassinations, and extrajudicial killings. He expressed sadness that previous governments have not provided justice for the victims and their families.
“This lecture is dedicated to the martyrs, to those who have needlessly and avoidably had their lives wasted,” he stated.
He noted that many Nigerians have been killed by state agencies or other criminals without anyone being held responsible. He mentioned the case of Deborah Samuel, who was killed by her classmates at Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto State in 2022. They accused her of disrespecting the Prophet Muhammad. Her death is still one of Nigeria’s unresolved tragedies.
He called the killing of the female student by her classmates proof of the country’s serious lack of justice. “The crime is not only the killing. The greater crime is the silence that followed and the failure to hold those responsible accountable,” he added.
Mr Soyinka said that a country where people can be shot by state actors in public without consequences has failed its citizens. He rejected claims that raising these issues would stir up religious or ethnic tensions.
He believes that protecting human life should be the cornerstone of any democratic society. “I want the justice system in Nigeria not to fail us again. I don’t want it to create a pattern of impunity where human lives are treated as disposable,” he said.
Mr Soyinka recalled that when President Tinubu took office in 2023, he asked for files on unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings. He urged the president to make the results public and ensure justice is served.
“I want Nigerians to join me in asking President Tinubu to bring out those files. We want to know what happened, why it happened and who should be held accountable,” he said.
The playwright emphasized that the lecture aimed to remind citizens of their duty to uphold justice and defend human dignity. He urged Nigerians to reject impunity and work together to create a society based on accountability, justice, and respect for human life.
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