Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka says he declined an invitation by the United States Embassy for a visa re-interview because he was uncomfortable with the date — September 11 — chosen for the exercise.

Speaking during a media parley titled “Unending Saga: Idi Amin in Whiteface” at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos, on Tuesday, Soyinka described himself as superstitious, noting that the date carried a tragic significance following the 2001 terror attacks on the World Trade Centre.

“Everybody knows what happened on that date. So I said, ‘Sorry, I’m superstitious; I’m not coming on that day,’” he said.

Soyinka, 91, revealed that the embassy had revoked his visa in a letter dated October 23, 2025, adding that the event was organised to inform those expecting him in the US that he had effectively been “banned”.

According to the letter from the consulate, Soyinka’s non-immigrant visa “has been revoked pursuant to the authority contained in the U.S. Department of State regulations 22 CFR 41.122” and is no longer valid for entry into the US.

The embassy cited “additional information” that emerged after the visa was issued and directed the playwright to submit his passport for physical cancellation — a request he described as humorous.

“I have no visa; I am banned, obviously, from the United States. If you want to see me, you know where to find me,” Soyinka quipped.

The Nobel laureate, who has long-standing ties with the US where he previously held academic positions, said he was puzzled by the decision.

“I’ve started looking back — have I ever misbehaved toward the United States? Have I gone against the law anywhere?” he asked.

Soyinka added that while the revocation would not affect his relationship with Americans, he had no plans to personally seek reinstatement of the visa.

“I owe the US nothing, and they owe me nothing. If circumstances change and I’m invited, fine. But I won’t make the effort myself,” he said.

The playwright also referenced a conversation with the US ambassador in Lagos, whom he told that he and his staff would always be welcome to visit the “Autonomous Republic of Ijegba” — his home in Abeokuta.

The development comes months after the US government introduced stricter non-immigrant visa policies for Nigerians.

In July, the US Department of State announced that most non-diplomatic visas issued to Nigerian citizens would now be single-entry with a three-month validity period.

The embassy later clarified that existing visas issued before July 8, 2025, would retain their validity.

In August, the US Mission in Nigeria further directed visa applicants to disclose all social media usernames used within the last five years as part of enhanced security screening measures.

Military authorities investigating an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Tinubu have detained a managing director of a federal government agency in the South-South region over suspected links to the financing of the plan.

Security sources told TheCable that the MD allegedly transferred a “huge sum of money” to Timipre Sylva, a former minister of state for petroleum resources and ex-governor of Bayelsa state, who has been named in intelligence reports as one of the financiers of the failed coup attempt.

“The MD transferred a large sum to Sylva. Investigators believe the funds were connected to the coup plot. He’s currently being questioned on the purpose of that transaction,” a security official said.

Sylva’s Abuja residence was raided on Saturday by military operatives. During the operation, his younger brother, Paga Sylva, who serves as his special assistant on domestic affairs, and his driver were arrested.

The former minister, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was reportedly out of the country at the time of the raid. Sources said he had planned to return to Nigeria but changed his mind after learning that the alleged coup leaders had been apprehended.

“He was preparing to return home when he heard about the arrests and decided to stay back,” another source added.

When contacted, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Markus Kangye, and Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Tukur Gusau, did not respond to calls seeking comment.

Earlier this month, Gusau confirmed that 16 officers were detained for “breaches of military regulations and acts of indiscipline”, adding that their grievances were linked to career stagnation from repeated promotion exam failures.

However, SaharaReporters claimed the detained officers — ranging from captain to brigadier-general — were being held by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) for plotting to overthrow the Tinubu administration.

“The officers were holding secret meetings to topple the government. The authorities are being diplomatic in their public statements,” the platform quoted a source as saying.

The defence headquarters has yet to issue an update on the ongoing investigation.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has refuted reports claiming it disbursed $1.25 billion to major oil sector operators for the importation of refined petroleum products and related items.

On Monday, several media outlets reported that the apex bank allocated $1.25 billion for oil and gas imports in the first quarter (Q1) of 2025.

In a statement on Tuesday, the CBN described the reports as “entirely inaccurate and misleading,” clarifying that the figure quoted in its Q1 2025 Sectoral Utilisation of Foreign Exchange Report does not represent direct disbursements from the bank.

According to the statement, the $1.25 billion figure reflects the total value of foreign exchange transactions carried out by participants in the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM) under the willing buyer, willing seller framework.

CBN spokesperson Hakama Sidi-Ali explained that since the unification of exchange rates in 2023, the apex bank has ceased direct allocation of foreign exchange.

“Since the unification of exchange rates in 2023, the NFEM has operated as a market-driven system, where foreign exchange is sourced and supplied by market participants, not allocated by the CBN,” Sidi-Ali said.

She added that the bank has not sold foreign exchange specifically for the importation of refined petroleum or any other products.

Sidi-Ali further clarified that the data cited in the report represents aggregate utilisation by authorised dealers and end-users who sourced FX independently through the market in line with existing regulations.

She emphasised that these transactions were legitimate market activities and not direct CBN interventions in the oil sector.

The spokesperson reiterated the apex bank’s commitment to maintaining a transparent, market-based foreign exchange system that promotes efficient price discovery, economic stability, and investor confidence in Nigeria’s financial ecosystem.