Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has called on President Bola Tinubu to reopen investigations into unresolved assassination and extrajudicial killing cases, saying justice must be served regardless of those involved.
Soyinka made the call 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 justice, accountability and the protection of human rights.
The literary icon urged the Federal Government to revisit unresolved cases and ensure those responsible for unlawful killings are identified and prosecuted.
He cited the killing of Deborah Samuel, a student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto, and Mene Ogidi, a young man allegedly shot by a police officer in Delta State.
Soyinka questioned what he described as the inconsistency in the justice system, noting that while swift action was taken in one case, others remain unresolved.
“The crime is the silence of the rest of us… the system of justice fails us completely,” he said while reflecting on Deborah Samuel’s killing.
The Nobel Laureate also urged Nigerians not to remain silent in the face of injustice, warning that public indifference only weakens the country’s justice system.
Calling on President Tinubu to act, Soyinka reminded Nigerians of the President’s earlier promise to revisit unresolved assassination and extrajudicial killing cases.
“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, who is of value as a human being, and who is there for casual disposition,’” he said.
He added that the government must put an end to what he described as the “casual butchery” of citizens and ensure justice is applied fairly to everyone.
Also speaking at the event, former Minister of Aviation Osita Chidoka said justice should be accessible to every Nigerian regardless of status, lamenting that over 50,000 inmates remain in detention without conviction.
According to Chidoka, delays in the justice system amount to another form of injustice against ordinary Nigerians.
