Former Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalung, has accused the Federal Government of deliberately shielding sponsors of terrorism despite repeated promises to expose and prosecute them.
In a strongly worded letter to Nigerians on Wednesday, shared on the Plateau NUJ platform, Dalung said leaders have chosen diversionary politics instead of confronting the issue.
He pointed to several unresolved allegations, including claims linking top politicians to terrorism and banditry.
Allegations Against Political Figures
Dalung noted that:
- Senator Shehu Buba of Bauchi South has been accused across media platforms of sponsoring terrorism, with viral videos linking him to bandits in Zamfara.
- Former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai accused the current National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, of “feeding and paying bandits.”
- General Christopher Musa, Chief of Defence Staff, promised to release the names of terrorism financiers, but Nigerians are still waiting.
He also recalled that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) once submitted a list of Nigerian terrorist financiers to Abuja, but the names have never been published or prosecuted.
“This failure is not a mistake; it reflects deliberate complicity,” Dalung wrote.
Attack on Gagdi and Federal Security Architecture
Dalung further took aim at Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, Chairman of the House Committee on Navy, accusing him of launching a “distraction campaign” against state police while his constituency suffers kidnappings and killings.
“It is both hypocritical and absurd,” he said, adding that the argument that governors cannot be trusted with state police is “weak, inconsistent, and lazy.”
He questioned the performance of the federal security system, citing corruption and inefficiency:
- “Has the Federal Government managed federal elections any better?”
- “Why are soldiers and police poorly equipped while terrorists wield superior weapons?”
- “What has become of the ₦3.10 trillion defence budget for 2025?”
Dalung also accused federal agencies, including the Navy, of allowing oil theft and illegal bunkering to thrive under their watch.
Warning Ahead of 2027 Elections
The ex-minister warned that silence on terrorism financing could destabilize Nigeria before the 2027 elections.
“With stage-managed peace talks and campaigns against state policing, it is clear the silence on financiers is a ploy to shield the powerful and manipulate electoral outcomes,” he said.
Quoting late military ruler Gen. Sani Abacha, Dalung reminded Nigerians:
“If insurgency persists for more than 48 hours, government is involved.”
Call for Constitutional Amendment
Aligning with the positions of Gen. T.Y. Danjuma and DSS DG Adeola Ajayi, Dalung stressed that the only solution is a constitutional amendment creating state, local government, and community police with full enforcement powers.
He also backed the right of citizens to bear arms, warning that:
“Anything less is complicity in the destruction of Nigeria.”
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