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FACT CHECK: Wole Soyinka Is Not Dead – Son

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By Samantha Allen
Published: October 11, 2021 | 4:43 PM GMT

Wole Soyinka, Nobel laureate, is alive.

On Monday, an account supposedly belonging to Abdulrazak Gurnar, winner of the 2021 Nobel prize for literature, said Soyinka is dead.

“I got a call from Nigeria. Wole Soyinka died suddenly a few minutes ago. A terrible news,” the post read.

The first red flag was the use of a countable noun article for “news” — “a… news”.

Grammatically, “news” is uncountable and a Nobel laureate would know that.

The post garnered over 150 retweets and 250 likes in a short while.

But when TheCable contacted his family, Ilemakin, his son, laughed it off.

“The rumour has been going round since last week. Soyinka is alive when last I checked,” he said.

The account which made the post was created in August 2021 and already has 14,000 followers.

In announcing Gurnah’s Nobel prize win on Friday, BBC had tagged the fake account, but Lola Shoneyin, Nigerian author, quoted the tweet, pointing out that Gurnah is not Twitter user.

“During my short exchange with Prof Abdulrazak Gurnah a few minutes ago, he stated, I am not a Twitter user. Please take note,” the post reads.

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About Samantha Allen

Samantha Allen is a seasoned journalist and senior correspondent at TDPel Media, specializing in the intersection of maternal health, clinical wellness, and public policy. With a background in investigative reporting and a passion for data-driven storytelling, Samantha has become a trusted voice for expectant mothers and healthcare advocates worldwide. Her work focuses on translating complex medical research into actionable insights, covering everything from prenatal fitness and neonatal care to the socioeconomic impacts of healthcare legislation. At TDPel Media, Samantha leads the agency's health analytics desk, ensuring that every report is grounded in accuracy, empathy, and scientific integrity. When she isn't in the newsroom, she is an advocate for community-led wellness initiatives and an avid explorer of California’s coastal trails.