Soyinka to Tinubu: Probe Unsolved Political Killings to Honour True Heroes of Democracy
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on President Bola Tinubu to launch a formal investigation into the unresolved killings of several prominent Nigerians, including journalist Dele Giwa, former Attorney General Bola Ige, and pro-democracy activist Kudirat Abiola.
Speaking with journalists in Lagos on Saturday, Soyinka said these deaths remain painful national scars and insisted that many Nigerians—at home and in the diaspora—may hold crucial clues that could lead to long-overdue justice.
His remarks came amid the commemoration of Nigeria’s Democracy Day on June 12, 2025, during which President Tinubu addressed the National Assembly and conferred national honours on several recognized heroes of the pro-democracy struggle.
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While Soyinka welcomed the symbolic gesture, he noted that the list of honorees omitted many key figures. He emphasized that the awards, though selective, should be viewed as representing the collective sacrifice of countless unsung heroes of the June 12 movement.
Soyinka also announced that he would dedicate his own honour to the memory of Dr. Beko Ransom-Kuti, a lifelong advocate for human rights and democracy who was repeatedly jailed during Nigeria’s years of military dictatorship.
He warned against diminishing the weight of the June 12 legacy, reminding the public that many lives were lost or permanently damaged under a brutal military regime that tortured, imprisoned, and killed civilians in their push for power.
The author’s call for justice comes in the wake of controversy surrounding the Democracy Day awards. On Saturday, the presidency denied reports that activist Aisha Yesufu and 35 others were among the awardees.
During his June 13 address, President Tinubu announced honours for 66 individuals, including posthumous recognitions for former Chief of Staff Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, NEC Chairman Prof. Humphrey Nwosu, and Kudirat Abiola, wife of late MKO Abiola.
In a historic move, the President also granted a posthumous pardon to environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and the Ogoni Nine—activists executed by the Abacha regime in 1995 for their resistance to environmental devastation in the Niger Delta.
Tinubu conferred on Saro-Wiwa the title of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) and awarded Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) to the eight others: Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gbooko, Paul Levera, Felix Nuate, Baribor Bera, Barinem Kiobel, and John Kpuine.
This marks the first time a Nigerian President has formally acknowledged the sacrifices of the Ogoni Nine in Nigeria’s democratic journey, three decades after their globally condemned execution.
Soyinka said it was time for Nigeria to match symbolic recognition with truth and justice. “Until we resolve these unresolved killings, the story of our democracy will remain incomplete,” he declared.
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