Nobel Prize winner Wole Soyinka has sharply criticized U.S. President Donald Trump for threatening to deploy American soldiers to Nigeria, calling the move reckless and ill-informed.
Speaking in Makurdi after meeting with Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, the renowned playwright said Trump’s comments showed a dangerous lack of understanding about Nigeria’s security challenges.
Soyinka didn’t mince words in his response to Trump’s statement.
He argued that military intervention requires careful thought and deep knowledge of local realities, not impulsive declarations.
“You don’t just open your mouth and say, ‘I’m coming to help you whether you like it or not.’
With poor, almost non-existent analysis, you claim you’re coming in ‘guns blazing,'” the 90-year-old Nobel laureate said.
He emphasized that while Nigeria faces real security problems, foreign powers cannot impose solutions without respecting ongoing efforts by local leaders and communities working to resolve these issues.
“At least respect those finding solutions to this unacceptable situation,” Soyinka added.
The literary icon used a striking analogy to drive his point home: “Because I’m ill or have difficulties does not mean I should accept aid from a mad man.
You cannot simply declare you’re coming to help someone with violence, without any real understanding of where the problem began.”
