Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to order a fresh investigation into unresolved political killings across Nigeria, warning that the country’s persistent failure to deliver justice has entrenched a dangerous culture of impunity.
Soyinka made the appeal while speaking on the state of the nation, stressing that reopening long-forgotten murder cases would send a strong message that no crime, regardless of how much time has passed, should go unpunished.
According to the renowned playwright and activist, successive governments have allowed several high-profile assassination cases to remain unresolved, eroding public confidence in the nation’s justice system and encouraging further acts of violence.
He urged the Tinubu administration to demonstrate political will by revisiting such cases, insisting that justice must not be selective or sacrificed for political convenience.
“The culture of impunity must come to an end,” Soyinka said, arguing that accountability remains essential to strengthening democracy, restoring public trust, and safeguarding the rule of law.
He maintained that reopening unresolved killings would not only provide long-awaited justice for victims and their families but also reinforce the principle that every Nigerian is entitled to equal protection under the law.
Soyinka further emphasised that a nation cannot claim to uphold democracy while allowing politically motivated killings and other grave crimes to remain uninvestigated or unpunished.
His remarks come amid renewed public discourse over several unresolved assassination cases that have continued to generate calls for justice years after they occurred.
Political analysts say the Nobel Laureate’s intervention is likely to reignite national conversations on accountability, judicial reforms and the need for stronger institutions capable of investigating and prosecuting high-profile crimes without political interference.
The Federal Government has yet to officially respond to Soyinka’s call.
