Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has called on President Bola Tinubu to fulfil his promise of revisiting unresolved assassination and extra-judicial killing cases across Nigeria, urging the government to ensure justice for victims and their families.
Soyinka made the appeal on Friday during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture Series organised by the National Association of Seadogs (Pirates Confraternity) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” focused on issues of justice, accountability and institutional responsibility.
The renowned playwright specifically referenced the case of Deborah Samuel, the student who was lynched in Sokoto State in 2022 after being accused of blasphemy, and Mene Ogidi, a Delta State resident allegedly killed by a police officer.
According to Soyinka, the continued failure to secure justice in some high-profile cases raises concerns about selective justice and accountability.
“That is why my remark is to remind you of that, that actually through me, paying honour to those who have been, who’ve lost their lives as a result of these deficiencies in the state,” he said.
The Nobel Laureate argued that justice must be applied equally regardless of the identity, status or influence of those involved.
He expressed concern that years after Deborah Samuel’s killing, individuals allegedly linked to the crime had not been successfully prosecuted.
“It’s dedicated to individuals, the youths, like Deborah, who was killed, who was butchered by her own classmate, hunted through the city, necklaced and set on fire,” Soyinka stated.
“The crime is the silence of the rest of us.”
Calling on citizens to demand accountability, he urged Nigerians to join him in asking President Tinubu to revisit unresolved cases and provide answers on their status.
“Watch with me so that we can force the government to bring up all the files. When there was a government retreat, you remember? The incoming president said, I want all the files of all the unsolved assassinations, killings, extra-judicial killings.
“What has happened to those files? I want you to join me in asking President Tinubu to say, we want you to dig up those files. We want to know what happened, why it happened,” he said.
Former Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, who delivered the keynote address, also stressed the importance of justice and institutional reforms, noting that thousands of Nigerians remain in detention without conviction.
The lecture concluded with renewed calls for accountability, stronger institutions and equal application of justice as essential pillars for rebuilding public trust and strengthening Nigeria’s democracy.
