Former Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, has raised concerns over Nigeria’s worsening security situation after sharing a video allegedly showing heavily armed bandits moving freely along a highway and exchanging greetings with security personnel without interference.
Dalung made the allegation in a post on his Facebook page, where he uploaded footage of the incident, describing it as a disturbing reflection of the growing entrenchment of banditry across the country.
According to the former minister, the sight of armed criminals openly operating on major roads highlights the severity of the insecurity facing the nation and raises questions about the safety of ordinary citizens.
His comments come amid increasing concerns over violent attacks and kidnappings in several parts of Nigeria. One of the recent incidents involved the abduction of 39 schoolchildren and seven teachers from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on May 15. A teacher was reportedly killed during the attack.
Reacting to the situation, Dalung said it was “heartbreaking and unbelievable” to witness bandits travelling in large numbers on motorcycles, heavily armed, while security personnel stationed along the route appeared unable to stop them.
“This country is in a very dire situation. Seeing that bandits now move openly on highways in large numbers on motorcycles, heavily armed, while security personnel stationed along the same roads can do little more than exchange greetings with one another is heartbreaking and unbelievable,” he said.
Dalung clarified that his criticism was not directed at security operatives actively confronting criminal groups, but rather at what he described as the normalization of banditry in the country.
“The apparent normalization and entrenchment of banditry in Nigeria is alarming. The question now is: what is left for the ordinary citizen?” he asked.
The video has sparked discussions on social media, with many Nigerians expressing concerns over the state of security and calling for stronger measures to tackle armed criminal groups operating across the country.
Emmanuel Ukaoha is a web developer, Blogger, and SEO expert from Nigeria. He holds a BSc in Computer Science from Renaissance University, Enugu State, with Second Class Honors.