Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has urged President Bola Tinubu to reopen investigations into the unresolved assassinations of notable Nigerians, including journalist Dele Giwa, former Attorney-General Bola Ige, and pro-democracy activist Kudirat Abiola.
Addressing a group of journalists in Lagos on Saturday, Soyinka emphasized the importance of resolving these long-standing cases, suggesting that some Nigerians—both within and outside the country—may hold key information that could illuminate the circumstances surrounding the killings.
His comments came as part of his reflections on Nigeria’s Democracy Day, marked annually on June 12. This year’s commemoration saw President Tinubu address the National Assembly and bestow national honours on several figures in the country’s pro-democracy movement.
While Soyinka praised the recognition given to many democracy heroes, he pointed out the exclusion of some notable individuals from the honour roll.
He, however, announced that he would dedicate his own national honour to the late Dr. Beko Ransom-Kuti, describing him as a staunch human rights advocate and tireless fighter for democracy who faced repeated arrests and imprisonment under past military regimes.
Soyinka also warned against sanitizing the narrative of the June 12 struggle, stressing that it was a dark chapter marked by violence, torture, and mass incarceration under a repressive military rule.
