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In a statement shared on Facebook on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has expressed concern over the state of insecurity in Nigeria following the circulation of a video reportedly showing armed bandits moving openly along a major highway while security personnel looked on.
Dalung reacted to the footage in a post shared on his page, where he described the development as evidence of a worsening security situation and questioned what it means for ordinary Nigerians.
According to the former minister, the sight of heavily armed bandits travelling in large numbers on motorcycles along public roads has become deeply troubling, particularly when security operatives stationed along the same routes appear unable to stop them. “This country is in a very dire situation,” Dalung wrote.
He added, “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!”
The former minister, however, clarified that his criticism was not directed at frontline security personnel engaged in combating criminal groups across the country. “And no, I am not referring to the security operatives who are doing their best to confront these bandits, but about is the apparent normalization and entrenchment of banditry in Nigeria,” he stated.
The former minister also questioned the implications of the situation for ordinary citizens, suggesting that public confidence could be undermined if criminal groups are perceived to be operating freely. “The question now is: what is left for the ordinary citizen?” he asked.
