United States government has revoked the visa of Nobel laureate professor Wole Soyinka, temporarily preventing his entry into the country.
Prof. Soyinka announced the development on Tuesday during a media parley at Kongi’s Harvest Gallery, Freedom Park, Lagos Island.
He said he was unaware of any wrongdoing that could have led to the revocation.
“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 said.
“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.”
According to Soyinka, the United States Consulate in Lagos notified him of the decision in a letter dated October 23.
The letter, issued by the Non-Immigrant Visa (NIV) Section, stated that his visa had been revoked under U.S. Department of State regulations.
The reason for the revocation remains unknown.
Soyinka said he was still trying to understand the decision, adding that he had no criminal record or history that could justify it.
“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?”
In September, PM News reported that Wole Soyinka had declined an invitation from the U.S. Consulate in Nigeria for a visa re-interview scheduled for September 11.
He described the initial letter inviting him to the interview as suspicious and thought it might have been a scam.
Soyinka’s visa type is B1/B2, a non-immigrant visa for temporary visits to the United States for business or tourism.
