A video and eyewitness testimonies have thrust the spotlight on a highly controversial security detail reportedly assigned to Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Bola Tinubu — igniting a fresh wave of public condemnation. At a recent event in Lagos, Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka recounted how, while leaving a hotel in Ikoyi, he was confronted by what he described as “a whole battalion” of heavily armed officers accompanying a young man who later turned out to be Seyi Tinubu.
Soyinka didn’t mince words. He said he reached out to the National Security Adviser to report what he saw — calling the display of power “obscene” and warning that such misuse of state security assets undermines trust in public institutions. He argued that while many Nigerians live with minimal protection amid rising insecurity, state resources should not be monopolized by a privileged few.
His remarks went viral, prompting others to weigh in. On live television, media personality Rufai Oseni challenged the Inspector-General of Police to act — daring him to withdraw the escort and restore fairness.
But defenders of Seyi — including some in the ruling establishment — argue the criticism is exaggerated. They say the security detail was justified due to his high-profile status and that some of those around him were supporters or volunteer security personnel, not official police officers.
The tension comes at a delicate moment. Weeks ago, President Tinubu ordered a nationwide withdrawal of police escorts from VIPs — a directive aimed at redirecting officers back to core policing and bolstering public security.
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