Former Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, has strongly criticized the Nigerian government over what he described as the “celebrity treatment” being given to terrorists and bandits, even as ordinary Nigerians are left at the mercy of growing insecurity.
In a strongly worded statement posted on his official Facebook page on Wednesday, Dalung warned that Nigeria’s current security architecture has collapsed, and urged urgent constitutional changes to allow citizens to legally bear arms in self-defense.
The statement, titled “Beyond State Police: The Urgent Case for Citizens’ Right to Bear Arms,” paints a grim picture of the worsening security situation in the country, where armed groups now operate with little or no resistance while innocent citizens are left exposed.
According to Dalung, while criminals freely carry assault rifles, grenades, and even operate drones in some parts of the country, law-abiding citizens are being criminalised for possessing even the most basic tools for self-protection.
“Today, bandits, terrorists, and violent criminals brazenly wield sophisticated weapons—automatic rifles, hand grenades, rocket launchers, and even drone technology—inflicting untold trauma on innocent and defenseless Nigerians,” he wrote.
He expressed outrage that these same criminals are sometimes invited to government-sponsored peace meetings where they arrive openly with their weapons, and yet no action is taken against them by the security forces present.
“Ironically, these same criminals are accorded celebrity treatment at government-sponsored ‘peace meetings,’ where they appear with their weapons in full view of security agencies, including the military,” he stated.
Dalung said the Nigerian security system, which is heavily centralised, has become ineffective and unreliable, especially in the face of the increasing violence across the country. He pointed out that the existing arrangement has not only failed to protect lives and property but has also left communities vulnerable and hopeless.
“The Nigerian security reality has deteriorated beyond narrow considerations about whether to decentralise policing or not. The truth is that the current security structure has collapsed,” he said.
While some policymakers continue to debate the pros and cons of establishing state police, Dalung believes the country has gone past that argument. Instead, he is calling for a complete overhaul of the system, including the creation of multiple layers of policing—federal, state, local government, and even community-based security outfits.
Dalung also called for a comprehensive constitutional amendment that would not only allow for the establishment of various levels of policing but would also give Nigerian citizens the legal right to own firearms for self-defense, under a regulated framework.
“What is urgently needed is not only the creation of state, local government, and community police, but also a constitutional amendment that allows citizens to bear arms legally for self-defense,” he said.
He argued that no society can survive when only the criminals are armed, while law-abiding citizens remain unprotected.
The former minister accused the current system of favouring the rich and powerful while abandoning the poor. He said the government is quick to arrest and prosecute ordinary citizens for minor infractions, but looks the other way when known terrorist financiers and violent actors operate freely.
“This double standard has left the masses exposed, helpless, and trapped in a system that protects the rich and violent actors while criminalising the defenseless poor,” he said.
Dalung also took aim at those who oppose decentralised policing and citizens’ right to bear arms. He accused them of dishonesty and claimed many of them benefit directly from the failure of the current security system.
“Most opponents of state policing and citizens’ right to bear arms are either beneficiaries of the current failed structure or are shielding terrorist financiers who continue to walk free,” he alleged.
Dalung suggested that Nigeria should look to models used in other parts of the world, particularly the United States, where there are several layers of law enforcement, including local, state, and federal agencies.
He said such a system would bring policing closer to the people, restore public confidence in law enforcement, and enhance the overall security of the nation.
In conclusion, Dalung urged the National Assembly and other relevant authorities to take urgent action before the situation gets worse.
“Nigeria is at a crossroads. If we want to truly secure this nation, we must embrace bold reforms. Citizens must have the legal right to protect themselves, especially when the state has failed to do so,” he said.
