PORT HARCOURT — Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has urged President Bola Tinubu to put an end to extrajudicial killings and all forms of violence perpetrated by state actors, warning that the silence of citizens continues to embolden human rights abuses across the country.
Soyinka made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage.”
The literary icon dedicated the 2026 edition of the annual lecture to victims of extrajudicial killings and state excesses, describing Nigeria’s greatest tragedy as not only the loss of innocent lives but also the collective silence that allows perpetrators to escape justice.
He said the event was a tribute to those whose lives had been cut short due to what he described as the state’s failure to protect the sanctity of human life.
“Today is dedicated to the 18 Ughelli residents butchered by state agencies for no reason at all, simply for minding their own business; to the young man shot dead in broad daylight by a policeman while under suspicion; and to Deborah, the young woman hunted through the city by her classmates, necklaced and set ablaze,” Soyinka said.
He lamented that the country’s justice system had repeatedly failed victims, citing the public confession of one of Deborah’s killers as evidence of the culture of impunity.
“The crime is the silence of the rest of us—that such a thing is possible and that the killers of that girl can appear on television, hold up a match and say, ‘This is the match with which I set her on fire.’ Yet, the system of justice fails us completely,” he added.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious division whenever he speaks against such atrocities, Soyinka dismissed the claims, insisting that the lecture was meant to remind Nigerians that the value of every human life transcends religious, ethnic or political identities.
He also called on Nigerians to closely monitor the case of the policeman accused of fatally shooting a young man in southern Nigeria, urging citizens to ensure that justice is not compromised.
Delivering the keynote address, former Minister of Aviation, Chief Osita Chidoka, argued that justice begins long before cases reach the courtroom, stressing that fairness starts with how law enforcement agencies handle complaints.
Chidoka decried the state of Nigeria’s criminal justice system, revealing that about 64 per cent of inmates in custodial centres—more than 50,000 people—are awaiting trial despite not being convicted of any offence.
“Each of these 50,000 is a life in suspension, a job lost, a family destabilised, someone’s health failing. When the state causes that delay and citizens pay for it with their liberty, the delay is not merely inefficiency—it is a form of violence carried out by the state itself,” he said.
He maintained that justice must be impartial, noting that legal protections should apply equally to every citizen regardless of status, political affiliation or public perception.
“A citizen who defeats the government in court should not face another battle to enforce that judgment. Justice must protect not only our friends but also the accused, the unpopular, political opponents and minorities, because citizenship should never depend on agreement,” Chidoka stated.
Earlier, Chairman of the occasion and former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Chief Timi Alaibe, said sustainable national development cannot thrive without accountability and strong institutions.
Alaibe urged participants from government, academia, civil society and the private sector to treat the lecture as a call to action rather than a ceremonial gathering.
“Nations are not reclaimed by rhetoric alone. They are reclaimed when conscience triumphs over convenience, when institutions are stronger than individuals, and when citizens find the courage to do what is right, even when it is difficult,” he said.
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