Former Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, has expressed deep concern over the deteriorating security situation in Nigeria, warning that banditry is becoming normalized. In a Facebook post, Dalung shared a 43-second viral video showing a large convoy of heavily armed bandits riding openly on motorcycles along an unidentified express road. The footage captures an armed individual wearing a Nigerian police uniform waving at and exchanging greetings with the criminals as they pass by.
Viral video sparks outrage
The video, which has circulated widely on social media, shows the bandits moving freely without any apparent intervention from security forces. The exact date and location of the recording remain unverified, but the blatant interaction between the uniformed personnel and the armed group has ignited widespread condemnation online.
Dalung's reaction
Reacting to the clip, Dalung described the open synergy between security personnel and criminals as heartbreaking and unbelievable. He clarified that his critique was not directed at patriotic security agents risking their lives on the frontline, but at the systemic collapse that permits such normalization of terror. '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 wrote.
Question for ordinary citizens
Dalung lamented the vulnerability of the public and questioned what hope is left for the ordinary Nigerian citizen under the current security climate. 'The question now is: what is left for the ordinary citizen?' he asked, highlighting the apparent entrenchment of banditry in Nigeria. The former minister served during the Muhammadu Buhari administration and his comments add to growing concerns about insecurity across the country.
