Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has questioned the source of the enormous sums of money reportedly displayed by terrorist groups operating in parts of Nigeria, accusing the Federal Government of failing to adequately investigate and disrupt the financial networks sustaining violent criminals.
Dalung made the remarks during an interview from 10:40 on Arise News, on Friday, 5 June, 2026, while discussing the country’s persistent security challenges and the continued activities of terrorists and bandits despite ongoing military operations.
Reacting to videos and reports showing armed groups displaying large amounts of cash, the former minister expressed concern over what he described as a growing underground economy that appears to thrive beyond the reach of government authorities.
“The question is, these terrorists display millions and billions in the forest. Are we now having a forest economy independent of the Nigerian economy?.”
Dalung argued that the repeated appearance of huge sums of money in the possession of terrorist groups raises serious questions about their sources of funding and the effectiveness of intelligence agencies charged with tracking financial crimes. According to him, authorities should be more concerned about identifying the channels through which such resources are generated and moved.
The former minister said it was troubling that criminal groups could openly showcase wealth while continuing to carry out attacks, kidnappings and other acts of violence against innocent citizens. He suggested that the existence of such funds points to a well-established support structure that deserves closer scrutiny from security and financial regulators.