Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on President Bola Tinubu to launch a fresh probe into the killings of prominent Nigerians, including journalist Dele Giwa, former Attorney-General Bola Ige, and democracy activist Kudirat Abiola.
The playwright’s remarks came as part of his reflections on Nigeria’s Democracy Day, commemorated on June 12, during which Tinubu addressed the National Assembly and announced national honours for key figures in the country’s pro-democracy movement.
News360 Info reports that Soyinka, while speaking to a select group of journalists in Lagos on Saturday, asserted there is a need for closure on these high-profile political assassinations.
He stressed that some Nigerians, both at home and abroad, may hold crucial information that could shed light on the circumstances surrounding these deaths.
While commending President Tinubu for recognising many heroes of the struggle, Soyinka noted several significant omissions.
Soyinka further stated that he would dedicate his national honour to the late Dr. Beko Ransom-Kuti, whom he described as a defender of human rights, a champion of good governance, and a campaigner for democracy, who was detained and jailed several times by the Nigerian military.
Soyinka cautioned against downplaying the sacrifices made during the June 12 struggle, emphasising that it was a period marked by bloodshed, torture, and imprisonment of countless Nigerians at the hands of a brutal military regime.
