Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.

Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.

He  made the call  during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.

The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.

The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.

According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.

Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.

He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.

The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State  by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.

He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.

Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.

Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.

He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.

The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.

He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.

Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.

There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.

Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.

However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.

“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.

“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.

The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.

“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.

The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.

FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has  reaffirmed his commitment towards the  speedy execution of the Oyorokoto Beach Resort project, pledging to ensure it is fully developed to make Rivers State a tourism hub  in Nigeria.

Fubara made the pledge recently at Government House, Port Harcourt during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federal Government and the Rivers State Government to advance the Renewed Hope Cultural Project.

The project is an initiative of the Federal Government designed to expand the creative economic sector in the country.

The governor disclosed that in the last three years, the Rivers State Government  has invested a lot of  resources in expanding the tourism sector in the state because of its desire to develop leisure spots, create jobs and   diversify the local economy.

“We have invested in expanding the tourism sector of Rivers State. Some months ago, the project for the new Tourist Beach which we embarked upon in partnership with Landmark kicked off. They’ve  already started their work and from what they promised, by this December the first phase will be unveiled  and made ready for public use,” he said.

According to him, some aspects of the Renewed Hope Cultural Project  were  part of  what his administration had in mind when it initiated the Ngô- Atlantic Oyorokoto Road  project in Andoni Local Government Area of the state.

“It is a project that will  open up that axis of  Rivers State. The Oyorokoto Beach is one of the best beaches in this country. Today, I can tell you that all over the internet, I’ve been seeing pictures of elephants, lions and other sorts of wildlife that  are being showcased as part of the tourist attractions on that new road,” he said.

Fubara observed that infrastructure development is not just about building roads, bridges and hospitals but also about  building an economy for entertainment and relaxation.

He said that in Europe and some  of the Middle East countries such as United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar, their economies are not just boosted  by their good roads but also by the  hospitality industry they have created to  provide comfort and relaxation to tourists.

“If not for this crisis in Iran, the closest tourism destination that everybody  yearns for is  Dubai,   to go there  and enjoy. So what we are trying to do here is,  if we can’t go to Dubai, let’s provide our own Dubai in Rivers State. If we can’t go to Qatar, let’s provide our own Qatar or Spain in Oyorokoto,” he said.

The governor assured that the Rivers State would not just sign the agreement, but also make sure that it goes further to put up something visible in the next four months.

He expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for  picking Rivers State as one of the key states  for the project, assuring that both parties to the MoU will work as  partners in progress.

The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, signed the MoU on behalf of the Federal Government, while the  Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Culture, Mr Ishmael Tomonialadeokuma, signed on behalf of the state.

In her brief remarks, Musawa described the project as timely, saying it is in line with the desire of President Bola Tinubu to ensure collaboration between the Federal Government and the various states on expanding the creative industry in the country.

According to the minister, the main goal of the project is economic diversification and expansion as well as job creation.

She hailed the governor for what his administration has  done in the area of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, describing it as been very vast.

She said, ” I’m very glad today that we have signed this Mou on the Renewed Hope Cultural Project. It is a project that spans across the Arts Culture, Tourism and Creative industry. It is really to catch up with what you have already done in the state. It  is to see what we can do at the federal level to support you so that we can use it as a Tourism, Cultural and Creative hub as well as an Arts space.

“Mr President wants us not to work in silos but to work together with the different sub nationals to see how the Federal Government can support all your efforts in the state.

“We have to collaborate and share our vision with the state. It is not complete if the FG does not collaborate with Rivers State. In fact it is one of the low hanging fruits .

“In coming into Rivers State, I can see that there is a huge diverse culture. Rivers State is one of the low hanging fruits. There is infrastructure, there is access, you have a number of international flights that come into Rivers State.

“Our hope is that Rivers State,  with the sort of idea and vision that you (Gov Siminalayi Fubara) have,  that we can work together to make sure that Rivers State becomes a huge expression in making Nigeria the cultural and creative hub of Africa.”