The United States Consulate in Lagos has affirmed that visas are granted as a privilege, not a right, and can be revoked at any time, in response to The PUNCH’s inquiry about Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka’s visa cancellation.
Public Diplomacy Officer Julia McKay stated on Thursday that U.S. law protects visa records’ confidentiality, declining to discuss specifics of the 91-year-old writer’s case.
“Visas may be revoked at any time, at the discretion of the U.S. government, whenever circumstances warrant,” McKay emailed, underscoring every nation’s border sovereignty.
Soyinka publicly announced the revocation of his B1/B2 visa during a Lagos media parley on Tuesday, titled “Unending Saga: Idi Amin in Whiteface,” revealing a October 23, 2025, letter from the Consulate General.
The acclaimed playwright, a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, told journalists at Freedom Park he is now “banned” from the US and urged event organisers to stop expecting him.
Puzzled by the decision, Soyinka insisted he has no criminal record or history of misconduct toward America: “Have I been convicted? Have I gone against the law anywhere?”