According to THE PUNCH, the Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has lashed out at the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for its recent ban on a protest song by veteran musician Eedris Abdulkareem, warning that the move signals a dangerous return to censorship and authoritarianism.
In a strongly worded statement released from New York University in Abu Dhabi, Soyinka decried the NBC’s action as a chilling throwback to Nigeria’s dark past of suppressing artistic voices. “I only just became aware of the ban through a cartoonist’s graphic reaction,” he said, referring to a satirical image highlighting the absurdity of the ban.
With biting sarcasm, the literary icon added, “Why stop at banning the song? Ban the artist himself. Let’s go further and outlaw every association he belongs to. That’s how censorship really works, right?”
Though he admitted he hasn’t listened to the banned track, Soyinka emphasized that the matter is about democratic rights—not lyrics. “Free expression isn’t optional. You don’t cherry-pick what’s acceptable in a democracy.”
Soyinka also mocked the authorities for unwittingly boosting Abdulkareem’s popularity. “The ban is a bonus. Eedris is probably smiling all the way to the bank thanks to free government PR,” he quipped.
Beyond the music controversy, Soyinka raised alarm over Nigeria’s worsening culture of impunity, referencing the gruesome mob killings of 19 youths in Edo and the 2022 murder of Deborah Samuel in Sokoto. He lamented that known killers roam free while the nation stays silent.
Calling for the reversal of what he termed a “petulant irrationality,” Soyinka warned: “Any regime that silences dissent and embraces only praise-singers is already spiraling into chaos.”
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