‘Dalung: Nigeria’s Security System in Collapse as Bandits Brandish Weapons at Peace Meetings’
Solomon Dalung, a former minister of sports, has charged that the Federal Government favors terrorists while exposing regular Nigerians to ongoing attacks by armed bandits.
In a statement headlined “Beyond State Police: The Urgent Case for Citizens’ Right to Bear Arms,” which he shared on his Facebook page on Wednesday, Dalung said that Nigeria’s centralized security system had broken down and that a perilous double standard had resulted.
The former minister claimed it was ironic that while terrorists and criminals freely display high-tech weapons at government-sponsored peace conferences, sometimes with military and police present, regular people run the possibility of being arrested for possessing even the most basic self-defense gear.
Dalung argued that Nigeria’s worsening security crisis had gone beyond the debate over state police.
He urged the National Assembly to embark on a constitutional amendment that not only enables the creation of state, local government, and community policing but also gives citizens the legal right to bear arms for self-defence.
He said: “Today, gunmen, terrorists and drug criminals are using weapons, modern guns, grenades, even unimportant aircraft technology, to harm innocent and poor citizens. The sad thing is, these bad people are considered big mouths at reconciliation rallies organised by some state governments, where they display their weapons in front of security agents, including the military. But if the poor man keeps a knife in the kitchen to defend himself, the security forces will arrest him.
“This nation leaves people as the defenceless and weak in the security system that protects the rich, terrorists and criminals, but oppresses the poor.
“The current security system of Nigeria has shown a lot of injustice to the masses. It has been proven that a single police system fails to protect lives and property of the public, instead it protects big politicians, criminal organizations and terrorist sponsors.
“According to the U.S., where the constitution of the President of Nigeria comes from, there are different levels of police at federal, state, district and city levels. Also, the laws of the country give citizens the right to hold arms legally. This system strengthens security and enables police to respond directly to the needs of the community.
Dalung Accuses Opponents of Dishonesty
The former minister accused those resisting state police and citizens’ right to bear arms of dishonesty, alleging that many of them benefit from the broken system or shield terrorist financiers.
According to him, Nigeria must adopt a layered policing structure similar to that of the United States to restore public trust and secure communities.
“This double standard has left the masses exposed, helpless, and trapped in a system that protects the rich and violent actors while criminalising the defenceless poor,” he said.
