VIDEO: Fact-checkers knock down claim Soyinka rode okada over N1,500 fuel

VIDEO: Fact-checkers knock down claim Soyinka rode okada over N1,500 fuel

• Nobel Laureate used commercial motorcycle to beat traffic after Abeokuta festival

Viral claims that Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka rode a commercial motorcycle (okada) home from an event in Abeokuta because he could no longer afford to fuel his cars at N1,500 per litre have been dismissed as misleading by fact-checkers.

A video showing the 89-year-old literary icon leaving the Ake Palace area on a motorcycle, surrounded by commercial riders and guided by a TRACE official, circulated widely on social media in late April 2026.

The footage sparked outrage and sympathy, with many Nigerians expressing shock that a figure of Soyinka’s stature would be forced to use public transport due to economic hardship.

However, a fact-check investigation by the Nigerian Democratic Report found no credible evidence to support the fuel price claim. The video contains no audio or visual evidence of Soyinka himself stating that he used the okada because of petrol costs.

Sources close to the Nobel Laureate told our correspondent that Soyinka had attended the grand finale of the 39th annual Lisabi Festival at the Ake Palace, an event that drew heavy crowds and significant traffic congestion.

The festival, themed “Egbaliganza 2026,” took place from March 23 to March 28 and attracted prominent Egba sons and daughters, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Ogun State governor Ibikunle Amosun.

According to the sources, Soyinka used the commercial motorcycle to navigate through the congested area for a short distance to where his driver and vehicle were stationed.

They described the okada ride as a practical solution to traffic gridlock rather than an indicator of financial distress.

“It is not uncommon for dignitaries at large events in Nigeria to use motorcycles to bypass traffic and reach their waiting vehicles,” one source familiar with the event’s logistics told our correspondent.

Further contradicting the viral narrative, Soyinka appeared publicly at a major event in Lagos just weeks after the okada video circulated.

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On May 20, 2026, he chaired the launch of “The NADECO Story,” a book written by Chief Ayo Opadokun, at an event attended by President Bola Tinubu and other high-profile Nigerians.

He delivered remarks and was photographed in formal attire, showing no signs of the financial struggles claimed online.

The claim about fuel prices, while false as it pertains to Soyinka’s motivation, reflects a genuine economic reality in Nigeria.

Following the removal of fuel subsidies in 2023, petrol prices have risen sharply. The National Bureau of Statistics reported an average retail price of N1,051.47 in February 2026, though prices in some regions and black markets have reportedly reached as high as N1,500 per litre.

An X user, @CrownprinceCom2, was among those who amplified the misleading claim, posting that Soyinka left the Ake Centre on an okada because he was struggling to buy fuel.

The post gained significant traction before fact-checkers intervened.

Attempts to reach Soyinka’s media aide for comment were unsuccessful as of press time.

Human rights activist and lawyer Inibehe Effiong, commenting on the incident, said the swift spread of the false claim demonstrated how economic frustrations were driving the rapid amplification of unverified narratives involving public figures.

“The public’s anger over fuel prices is legitimate, but we must be careful not to project that anger onto situations that do not warrant it,” Effiong said in a telephone interview.

“Professor Soyinka remains a national icon, and false claims about his personal circumstances do not serve the public interest.”

The Nigerian Democratic Report concluded its investigation with a verdict of “misleading,” noting that while it is confirmed that Soyinka was seen riding an okada in Abeokuta, there is no evidence that he did so because he could not afford fuel at N1,500 per litre.

“The viral claim appears to have been a case of misattributed motivation, with social media users projecting broader economic frustrations onto a single image of a public figure using alternative transportation in a congested event setting,” the report stated.

The Nigeria Police Force has not commented on the matter, and no official statement has been issued by Soyinka’s office as of press time.

VIDEO: Fact-checkers knock down claim Soyinka rode okada over N1,500 fuel