Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has called on President Bola Tinubu to initiate a thorough investigation into the unresolved murders of prominent Nigerians such as Dele Giwa, Bola Ige, and Kudirat Abiola.
Soyinka made this call during an interactive session with select journalists in Lagos, as part of his reflections on Nigeria’s Democracy Day celebrations marked on June 12, 2025.
While commending the Tinubu-led government for awarding national honours to heroes of the pro-democracy struggle, Soyinka expressed concern over certain key omissions from the honours list. He emphasized that many courageous Nigerians, who fought for the nation’s democracy, deserve recognition.
The literary icon stated that he would dedicate his honour to the late Beko Ransom-Kuti, describing him as a relentless human rights defender and advocate for good governance who was unjustly detained and jailed multiple times during Nigeria’s military era.
Soyinka stressed the importance of remembering the sacrifices of June 12 heroes:
“No one should make light of the June 12 struggle. Many lives were lost, and countless others suffered torture, imprisonment, and oppression under the military junta,” he warned.
He also suggested that Nigerians at home and abroad may possess crucial information that could help solve these historical political murders, urging the government to act decisively to bring closure to these tragic chapters of Nigeria’s history.
