Overview
- At a Lagos news conference on October 28, the 91-year-old Nobel laureate displayed an October 23 U.S. consulate letter revoking his non‑immigrant visa and requesting he bring his passport for physical cancellation.
- Soyinka said he was told he could reapply but declared he is very content with the decision and does not plan to initiate a new application.
- U.S. diplomatic officials offered no public explanation beyond the letter’s reference to State Department authority and confidentiality rules.
- Soyinka suggested the move may relate to his public criticism of President Donald Trump, including a recent comparison to Uganda’s Idi Amin, while acknowledging this as his own inference.
- Coverage situates the case within tightened U.S. visa practices under Trump’s second term, noting a June proclamation broadening denial and revocation grounds, Nigeria’s reduced visa validity since July, and earlier high‑profile cancellations such as Oscar Arias.