NOBEL Laureate, playwright, and global literary icon, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has revealed that he was abducted and robbed during a recent trip to Romania, turning what was supposed to be a celebratory visit into a harrowing experience.
News Point Nigeria reports that the 89-year-old literary giant had traveled to attend the Sibiu International Theatre Festival (FITS), one of the largest and most prestigious performing arts festivals in the world.
The annual event, hosted in Sibiu, Romania, attracts thousands of theatre enthusiasts, performers, and cultural icons from across the globe.
However, Soyinka’s experience took a frightening turn shortly after landing in Bucharest. In an exclusive interview with TheNEWS, the celebrated playwright recounted the shocking ordeal, which occurred after he missed his official pickup at the airport.
Soyinka said he arrived in Bucharest at 12:10 a.m., excited to be part of the festival, but events quickly spiraled out of control after he boarded what he believed was an official taxi to his hotel.
“So I got into the taxi and the man drove and drove and finally we got to a spot. It was now close to 1 o’clock in the dead of the night. And I thought we were in the hotel. Then he brought out his POS,” Soyinka narrated.
According to him, the driver diverted to a deserted, poorly lit area where he was coerced into surrendering his bank details under duress.
The literary icon explained that the situation turned into a psychological standoff as he deliberately entered the wrong PIN multiple times to delay the transaction, hoping someone would come to his aid.
“That drama lasted inside the taxi between 25 and 30 minutes. I was deliberately entering the wrong pin, playing for time, hoping people would come out maybe from the hotel or be strolling around.
“It was one of those times when everybody refused to come out. Completely bare where I was. No sign. And then you can imagine all sorts of imagination in my head. Why had he dropped me in this particular place? Was it a gang-infested area?”
Soyinka said the driver became increasingly agitated, and the encounter “approached violence,” leaving him wondering if he would get out unharmed.
Eventually, Soyinka was able to extricate himself from the situation, later making it safely to his hotel before being transported to Sibiu to join other international participants at the festival.
While he did not disclose the exact amount of money lost, he confirmed that the incident was traumatic but did not deter him from fulfilling his engagement at the event.
Soyinka’s ordeal sheds light on the vulnerability of travelers, even in European cities often considered safe. Security experts have long warned about the dangers of unregulated taxis and scams targeting unsuspecting visitors at airports.