Soyinka Urges Tinubu to Release Findings on Killings

Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka has called on President Bola Tinubu to publicly release findings from a review of unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, warning that a culture of silence is enabling impunity and devaluing human life in Nigeria. Soyinka made the appeal on Friday, July 31, 2026, during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture in Port Harcourt, an event themed "Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage."

Soyinka recalled that upon assuming office in 2023, President Tinubu had requested files on unsolved cases of political killings and deaths at the hands of state actors. The playwright urged citizens to join him in demanding the president make the findings public. He argued that accountability is central to rebuilding the nation and that justice must be served regardless of the perpetrators' status or affiliations.

The lecture was dedicated to victims of alleged state abuses and mob violence. Soyinka highlighted specific cases, including the 2022 killing of student Deborah Samuel in Sokoto State, who was accused of blasphemy and set on fire by classmates. He noted with dismay that one alleged perpetrator had reportedly...