Claim A viral social media post claims that a black-and-white photo shows Professor Wole Soyinka shortly after his release from prison in 1969, sitting shirtless while a young boy, allegedly Gbenga Daniel, the future Governor of Ogun State, stands beside him holding a kettle. The post further uses the image to preach a lesson on “loyalty.”
Verdict False. The boy is not former Ogun Governor Gbenga Daniel. Debola Daniel, Gbenga Daniel’s son, has publicly debunked the story, calling it a complete fabrication.
Full Text
The viral post, widely shared on Threads, Facebook, and Instagram, alleges that the image captures Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka after his 1969 prison release. According to the narrative, the child in the picture is Gbenga Daniel, who later became the Governor of Ogun State, having served under Soyinka in his youth. The post uses this fabricated scenario to sermonise about loyalty and personal progress.
The pairing of two respected Nigerian figures in a single dramatic story has amplified the claim’s spread and believability.
Given its potential to mislead, DUBAWA decided to investigate the claim.
Verification
DUBAWA, as part of its mandate to amplify the truth, conducted a thorough search of the picture and, upon verification, found a statement from Gbenga Daniel’s son. The most direct and authoritative evidence comes from Debola Daniel, son of Gbenga Daniel, who responded publicly to the claim on X (formerly Twitter). Debola Daniel on Twitter:
On December 8, 2021, he wrote:
“People just lie unprovoked. They don’t even try to mislead. They just lie. That is not my daddy o….”
With Twitter now updated, only the words to this post remain. However, a screenshot of his response, with the photo attached, shows how his words in the post align with the picture.
Screenshot of Debola Daniel’s post on Twitter (now X).
Debola Daniel’s reaction clearly shows that the boy in the photo is not Gbenga Daniel.
Additionally, there is no biographical or journalistic record linking Wole Soyinka and Gbenga Daniel in this context. Soyinka has a well-documented autobiography and a detailed prison-record timeline, yet no such incident or photograph exists in official sources.
Additionally:
- Soyinka was detained by the Yakubu Gowon regime in 1967 and released in 1969,
- Gbenga Daniel was born in 1956, making him 13 in 1969, yet the boy in the photo appears much younger (around 8 or 9),
- And no documented interaction between the two exists from that period or circumstance.
Conclusion
The claim that the viral photograph shows Wole Soyinka after his 1969 prison release with Gbenga Daniel standing beside him is false. The story has no historical basis, and most importantly, Debola Daniel, Gbenga Daniel’s son, has publicly refuted the narrative.
This is another example of a widespread pattern of misattributing old photos to famous African figures to create dramatic or inspirational stories.