₦airaland Forum

Sowore Condemns Trump Administration's Revocation Of Soyinka's US Visa
October 28, 2025
NEWS


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLpsH0wvroM?si=CqFz0jYo9P39eYgA

Human rights activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has strongly condemned the revocation of Nobel Laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka’s visa by the President Donald Trump-led United States government.

“Donald Trump Reportedly Revokes U.S. Visa of Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka! SAD! What the US has become!” Sowore said in a post on his Facebook page.

SaharaReporters earlier reported that Soyinka expressed surprise over the revocation of his United States visa, following an official communication from the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos notifying him of the decision.

Soyinka, who spoke during a media parley held at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos Island, on Tuesday, said he was unaware of any wrongdoing that could have warranted such an action by the US authorities.

“It is necessary for me to hold this conference so that people in the United States who are expecting me for this event or that event do not waste their time.

"I have no visa; I am banned, obviously, from the United States. And if you want to see me, you know where to find me,” he told journalists.

According to the Nobel laureate, he received an official letter from the United States Consulate General confirming that his non-immigrant visa had been revoked.

"This letter serves as official notification by the United States Consulate General in Lagos that the nonimmigrant visa listed below has been revoked pursuant to the authority contained in U.S. Department of State regulations,” part of the letter sent to Soyinka by the U.S. embassy.

The letter, issued by the NIV Section of the Consulate, did not state the reason for the revocation, leaving Soyinka puzzled.

The Nobel laureate voiced his surprise over the decision, stating, “I’m still looking into my past history… I don’t have any past criminal record or even a felony or misdemeanour to qualify for the revocation.

“I’ve started looking back — have I ever misbehaved toward the United States of America? Do I have a history? Have I been convicted? Have I gone against the law anywhere?”

Soyinka noted that the situation was particularly baffling because he has maintained cordial relations with U.S. officials in the past and has frequently participated in international engagements hosted in the country.

Earlier in September, Soyinka had declined an invitation from the United States Consulate in Nigeria to appear for a visa reinterview, which was scheduled for Thursday, September 11.

The playwright, in an interview with TheNEWS, described the Consulate’s notice as “strange and bizarre,” revealing that he initially dismissed it as a possible scam or an AI-generated fake document.

He said, “I would like to begin by stressing the fact that, for me, this is not a personal issue. I have no idea how you got to know. By the way, I also have received the letter, which at first I thought was a fake.

“I thought it was these scammers who sort of prey on those eager to get visas elsewhere, with the promise to deliver visas for a certain amount guaranteed.”

“So, at the beginning, I thought it was advance fee fraud because I had never received that kind of letter from that or any other embassy. I thought that maybe AI has been generating generic letters. It was very strange.”

Soyinka added that the eventual realisation that the communication was genuine left him questioning what could have led to such an unprecedented action against him.

“So, by the time I came to terms with the fact that this letter is genuine, my mind just went to my relationship with individual ambassadors, Consul-Generals, and Cultural Attachés. As you know, it’s always been a courteous relationship.”

He maintained that he had more pressing priorities than pursuing visas to destinations he neither desires to visit nor feels welcomed in.
“So the question of going to such an interview is totally out of consideration,” he said.

The Nobel laureate also took issue with the choice of September 11 as the date fixed for the reinterview, describing it as “a bit superstitious” and inappropriate given its global association with tragedy.

“In addition, I happen to be a little bit superstitious of being given a significant date, not just for the United States but the rest of the world. I’m talking about 9/11.

“This is a day which I have always considered very critical for the United States, especially. To me, 9/11 should be regarded as a day of national mourning, of atonement by the Consulate of the United States,” he said.

SaharaReporters

Soyinka, who spoke during a media parley held at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos Island, on Tuesday, said he was unaware of any wrongdoing that could have warranted such an action by the US authorities.

Has he forgotten the vow he made if Trump won the 2016 presidential elections?

https://www.nairaland.com/3496265/threw-away-green-card-soyinka#51544694

US revokes Wole Soyinka’s visa, nobel laureate expresses surprise

https://punchng.com/us-revokes-wole-soyinkas-visa-nobel-laureate-expresses-surprise/

He discarded his green card. He had a B1/B2 visa but refused to attend his reinterview. If you want special treatment you should be asking for it as an American not as a Nigerian.

Trump-Led US Government Revokes Visa Of Nobel Laureate Soyinka
October 28, 2025
NEWS

Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, has expressed surprise over the revocation of his United States visa, following an official communication from the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos notifying him of the decision.

Soyinka, who spoke during a media parley held at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos Island, on Tuesday, said he was unaware of any wrongdoing that could have warranted such an action by the US authorities.

“It is necessary for me to hold this conference so that people in the United States who are expecting me for this event or that event do not waste their time.

"I have no visa; I am banned, obviously, from the United States. And if you want to see me, you know where to find me,” he told journalists.

According to the Nobel laureate, he received an official letter from the United States Consulate General confirming that his nonimmigrant visa had been revoked.

"This letter serves as official notification by the United States Consulate General in Lagos that the nonimmigrant visa listed below has been revoked pursuant to the authority contained in U.S. Department of State regulations,” part of the letter sent to Soyinka by the U.S. embassy and cited by PUNCH read.

The letter, issued by the NIV Section of the Consulate, did not state the reason for the revocation, leaving Soyinka puzzled.

The Nobel laureate voiced his surprise over the decision, stating, “I’m still looking into my past history… I don’t have any past criminal record or even a felony or misdemeanour to qualify for the revocation.

“I’ve started looking back — have I ever misbehaved toward the United States of America? Do I have a history? Have I been convicted? Have I gone against the law anywhere?”

Soyinka noted that the situation was particularly baffling because he has maintained cordial relations with U.S. officials in the past and has frequently participated in international engagements hosted in the country.

Earlier in September, Soyinka had declined an invitation from the United States Consulate in Nigeria to appear for a visa reinterview, which was scheduled for Thursday, September 11.

The playwright, in an interview with TheNEWS, described the Consulate’s notice as “strange and bizarre,” revealing that he initially dismissed it as a possible scam or an AI-generated fake document.

He said, “I would like to begin by stressing the fact that, for me, this is not a personal issue. I have no idea how you got to know. By the way, I also have received the letter, which at first I thought was a fake. I thought it was these scammers who sort of prey on those eager to get visas elsewhere, with the promise to deliver visas for a certain amount guaranteed.”

“So, at the beginning, I thought it was advance fee fraud because I had never received that kind of letter from that or any other embassy. I thought that maybe AI has been generating generic letters. It was very strange.”

Soyinka added that the eventual realisation that the communication was genuine left him questioning what could have led to such an unprecedented action against him.

“So, by the time I came to terms with the fact that this letter is genuine, my mind just went to my relationship with individual ambassadors, Consul-Generals and Cultural Attachés. As you know, it’s always been a courteous relationship.”

He maintained that he had more pressing priorities than pursuing visas to destinations he neither desires to visit nor feels welcomed in.

“So the question of going to such an interview is totally out of consideration,” he said.

The Nobel laureate also took issue with the choice of September 11 as the date fixed for the reinterview, describing it as “a bit superstitious” and inappropriate given its global association with tragedy.

“In addition, I happen to be a little bit superstitious of being given a significant date, not just for the United States but the rest of the world. I’m talking about 9/11. This is a day which I have always considered very critical for the United States especially. To me, 9/11 should be regarded as a day of national mourning, of atonement by the Consulate of the United States,” he said.

SaharaReporters

According to the Nobel laureate, he received an official letter from the United States Consulate General confirming that his nonimmigrant visa had been revoked.

"I have no visa; I am banned, obviously, from the United States. And if you want to see me, you know where to find me,” he told journalists.

Nice one from Ojogbon Soyinka, anyone who want to see you should come to Nigeria, the best country in the world.

The United States of America was right, fully right, to revoke Professor Wole Soyinka’s visa if indeed he once tore his American green card. That act was not a symbol of protest. It was a public declaration of contempt.

You cannot tear up a nation’s symbol of trust and privilege and then expect to walk back into that same nation with entitlement. The American visa is not a souvenir. It’s a covenant of respect between the bearer and the State.

When Professor Soyinka ripped his green card in 2016 to protest America’s political direction, he was not just rejecting an administration. He was rejecting the sovereignty of the United States itself. Every lawful government acts to defend its dignity, its borders, and its symbols of authority. To revoke his visa is not pettiness. It is principle. It is America saying, you cannot mock our values and still demand our hospitality.

This decision by the United States government reinforces a timeless truth: freedom of speech does not mean freedom from consequence, and prestige does not equate to immunity. No Nobel Prize or global recognition grants anyone the right to insult a nation and still expect red-carpet treatment from it.

America, like any great nation, must guard its honor. The revocation of Professor Soyinka’s visa is not vengeance. It is a reaffirmation that respect is mutual and that even the loudest critics must be reminded that privileges in the United States are earned, not inherited, and certainly not abused.

Nigeria must also learn to guard its reputation and dignity with firmness and pride. A nation that demands respect must first respect itself. It is time for Nigeria to stand tall, speak boldly, and act decisively, just as the United States does when its honor is challenged.

If you tear a bridge, you cannot demand passage across it. - Prof. Sandra C Duru

‘I’m still searching my past for any offence’ — Soyinka reacts as US revokes visa

“I have no visa; I am banned, obviously, from the United States. And if you want to see me, you know where to find me…

https://tribuneonlineng.com/im-still-searching-my-past-for-any-offence-soyinka-reacts-as-us-revokes-visa/

givedemwotowoto:
He discarded his green card. He had a B1/B2 visa but refused to attend his reinterview. If you want special treatment you should be asking for it as an American not as a Nigerian.

Exactly !!! As far as I ma concerned Soyunka revoked his own visa himself

OLAADEGBU:
‘I’m still searching my past for any offence’ — Soyinka reacts as US revokes visa

“I have no visa; I am banned, obviously, from the United States. And if you want to see me, you know where to find me…

https://tribuneonlineng.com/im-still-searching-my-past-for-any-offence-soyinka-reacts-as-us-revokes-visa/

You will stay in Nigeria and enjoy the good work your friend in power is doing

Whole Soyinka Speaks On Why His United States Visa Was Revoked
SaharaTV


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLpsH0wvroM?si=CqFz0jYo9P39eYgA

Visas are privilege, not right, US replies Soyinka
Israel Arogbonlo
October 31, 2025

United States Consulate in Lagos has clarified that visas issued to foreign nationals are a privilege, not a right, following reports of the revocation of Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka’s US visa.

Responding to an inquiry from a national newspaper (not Tribune) on Thursday, the Consulate said it could not comment on Soyinka’s case due to confidentiality laws.

“Under US law, visa records are generally confidential. We will not discuss the details of this individual visa case,” said Julia McKay, Public Diplomacy Officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos.

McKay, however, emphasised that the U.S. government reserves the right to withdraw visas at any time.

“Visas are a privilege, not a right. Every country, including the United States, can determine who enters its borders. Visas may be revoked at any time, at the discretion of the U.S. government, whenever circumstances warrant,” she stated.

Soyinka had, during a media briefing on Tuesday at Freedom Park, Lagos, revealed that his B1/B2 visa was revoked by the U.S. Embassy in a letter dated October 23, 2025.

The 91-year-old Nobel laureate said the revocation came as a surprise, noting that he was unaware of any wrongdoing that could have prompted the decision.

“I have no visa; I am banned, obviously, from the United States. And if you want to see me, you know where to find me,” Soyinka told journalists.

Reflecting on his past travels, the playwright recalled two minor incidents — one involving undeclared green chilies at a U.S. airport and another decades-old altercation with a police officer in Atlanta — but doubted that either could have led to the revocation.

“These are the only two crimes I can consider myself guilty of in all the decades I’ve been going to the United States,” he said, maintaining that the reason for the action remains unclear.

SaharaReporters

“Visas are a privilege, not a right. Every country, including the United States, can determine who enters its borders. Visas may be revoked at any time, at the discretion of the U.S. government, whenever circumstances warrant,” she stated.