Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has shared details of a harrowing robbery incident that occurred shortly after his arrival in Bucharest, Romania, where he was headed for the Sibiu International Theatre Festival.
Soyinka explained that upon arriving past midnight, he missed the party scheduled to receive him at the airport and boarded what appeared to be an official taxi bound for the Novotel Hotel.
In an unexpected twist, the driver diverted to a remote, dimly lit area and produced a POS machine, demanding Soyinka’s PIN.
“At nearly 1 a.m., the driver stopped in an unfamiliar place and revealed a POS machine, urging me to enter my pin. For about 25 to 30 minutes, I deliberately entered the wrong pin, buying time, hoping someone would appear — maybe someone from the hotel or a passerby. But the place was completely deserted,” Soyinka recalled.
He described a tense confrontation inside the vehicle, during which the driver repeatedly pressured him to comply. Eventually, the writer was dropped near his hotel after what he termed an “unsettling encounter.”
Though he confirmed losing cash, Soyinka said the greater issue was symbolic:
“It’s not just an attack on me as an individual; it’s an assault on the community. The entire episode felt surreal and deeply unnerving.”
He further expressed disappointment with the lukewarm response from local authorities, noting that the incident was quietly contained by the police with no clear update on progress.
Soyinka added that he intends to share further reflections on the matter in the next edition of his “Intervention Series.”
The playwright was later picked up safely and taken to Sibiu, where he received honours at the festival.
