Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has accused state governments of directly aiding and abetting terrorism by giving armed bandits legitimacy and safe passage under the guise of “peace negotiations.”

Speaking in an interview with Voice of the People TV, Dalung revealed a chilling incident in Katsina State, where heavily armed bandits were invited into the Government House for official talks. Shockingly, they arrived openly brandishing their rifles, walked into the meeting hall under the full gaze of the Nigerian Army – who were also present with weapons – and walked back into the bush afterward without a single arm being seized.

“In Katsina, bandits came for a negotiation in Government House bearing their weapons while the Nigerian Army were also carrying weapons. And after the negotiation they left to the bush with their arms,” Dalung lamented.

This revelation, carried by Jungle-Journalist.Com, underscores a disturbing pattern where governments, instead of enforcing the law, are legitimizing criminal gangs that have terrorized Nigerians for years. Critics argue that such actions embolden terrorists, normalize violence, and render the state complicit in crimes against its citizens.

Security analysts warn that negotiations conducted under these conditions only strengthen bandits, allowing them to regroup, recruit, and continue their reign of terror. Rather than protecting citizens, governments appear to be shielding killers.

Dalung’s exposé raises a painful question: if government houses have become safe havens for bandits to walk in with rifles and leave untouched, who then is truly in charge of Nigeria – the elected leaders or the terrorists?