Trump Administration Revokes Wole Soyinka’s US Visa, Nobel Laureate Calls It ‘Witch-Hunt’

The United States government, under former President Donald Trump, has permanently revoked the visa of Nigerian Nobel Laureate and globally celebrated writer, Professor Wole Soyinka.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos Island, Soyinka disclosed that he received formal notification of the visa cancellation from the US Consulate, leaving him unable to enter the country.

“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,” the 90-year-old playwright told journalists.

Soyinka said the decision took him by surprise, as he had no prior criminal record or history of violating any laws that could justify such an action.

“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,” he said. “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?”

The Nobel Laureate described the move as a possible act of political witch-hunt, noting that he had maintained close ties with the US academic and literary community for decades.

“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,” he explained.

The news of the visa revocation has sparked widespread reactions across literary and diplomatic circles, with many calling for clarification from Washington on what prompted the action.

Professor Wole Soyinka, Africa’s first Nobel Prize winner in Literature, has long been an outspoken critic of authoritarianism and global injustices — a voice that has earned him both admiration and controversy worldwide.