Nigeria’s Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has dropped a bombshell to why the United States government has permanently revoked his visa, and he believes it’s because of his outspoken criticism of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Speaking during a fiery media parley at Freedom Park, Lagos, themed “Unending Saga: Idi Amin In Whiteface!”, the 91-year-old literary icon stunned journalists as he read out the official revocation letter sent to him by the U.S. Consulate in Lagos.
Soyinka revealed that the shocking notice arrived on Thursday, October 23, 2025, declaring that his B1/B2 visa, issued in April 2024, had been “revoked pursuant to Department of State Regulations 22 CFR 41.122.”
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“Dear Mr Soyinka, this letter serves as official notification that the non-immigrant visa listed below has been revoked… and is no longer valid for entry into the United States,” the letter read in part.
The letter, however, offered no specific reason, only saying that “additional information became available after the visa was issued.”
Soyinka, who once famously tore up his U.S. Green Card in protest after Trump’s 2016 election win, suggested that the revocation may be a backlash for his stance against the former president.
“It feels like being witch-hunted for speaking the truth,” Soyinka said. “But I have no hard feelings. I’ll continue to welcome Americans to my home in Abeokuta — my doors remain open to genuine people.”
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The globally acclaimed playwright and poet, known for his fearless criticism of injustice, said he would not be silenced by the move.
“I am a global citizen. I will continue to speak against racism and wrong policies anywhere — whether in America or here in Nigeria,” he vowed.
The revocation has sparked mixed reactions online, with many Nigerians recalling Soyinka’s 2016 outburst when he vowed to tear his Green Card if Trump won the election — a promise he fulfilled immediately after Trump’s victory.