Govt can track critics in minutes but fails to track terrorists – Dalung

Former Nigerian Sports Minister Solomon Dalung has sharply criticized the Bola Tinubu-led administration, accusing it of lacking the political will to tackle the nation's escalating insecurity. Speaking on Arise TV, Dalung argued that the government possesses advanced technology to swiftly track individuals critical of its policies but fails to deploy similar capabilities against terrorists.

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Government seems not to have the political will to deal with it. They have all the gadgets to track anybody who criticises the government, they can pick him up in the next five minutes.

Dalung pointed to the government's inability to track terrorists who he said operate with "huge phones in the forest," abduct schoolchildren, and produce videos of their atrocities. He dismissed the Information Minister's call for unity against terrorism as a sign of "deeper failure," asserting that the federal government has "completely and woefully failed" and lacks any viable solution to the pervasive insecurity.

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But they don’t have equipment to track terrorists who display huge phones in the forest, behead teachers, abduct schoolchildren, torture them in the forest, produce videos and send.

The former minister also described the security architecture as fragmented, with agencies working in silos. He warned of a "parallel forest economy" operated by terrorists and questioned the impact of foreign military assistance, stating that "we have not felt their impact." Dalung urged the government to empower communities for self-defense instead of offering mere reassurances.

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I think it’s a statement confirming that the federal government has completely and woefully failed. They don’t seem to have any idea of a solution to the ravaging insecurity that is across the country.

Beyond security, Dalung expressed disappointment with President Tinubu's three-year performance, characterizing it as "blame game and rhetorics of reforms" that have not benefited Nigerians. He noted the "doldrums" of the economy and stated that insecurity remains "rhetorical." Political scientist Obafemi George, however, defended the administration on the same program, arguing it deserves more time and citing economic indicators and a sovereign credit rating upgrade as evidence of progress.

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We were told that the Americans are here with us. If the Americans are here with us, what have they been doing? We have not felt their impact.