Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has called on President Bola Tinubu to initiate a thorough investigation into the unresolved assassinations of key figures in Nigeria’s pro-democracy movement, including journalist Dele Giwa, former Attorney-General Bola Ige, and activist Kudirat Abiola.
Speaking during a media interaction at Freedom Park, Lagos, held as part of the “June 12: Romancing the Embers” commemoration, Soyinka emphasized that symbolic gestures alone are insufficient to honor the legacy of those who sacrificed their lives for democracy.
“To give real meaning to June 12, we must go beyond speeches and rituals,” Soyinka said. “There must be accountability. We owe it to those who gave their lives.”
He urged the current administration to pursue justice for the victims of political violence, noting that true democratic progress requires confronting the past.
Soyinka also announced that any recognition he receives on June 12 would be dedicated to the late Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, whom he hailed as an unyielding defender of human rights, democracy, and social justice.
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