AIG Salisu Fagge (Rtd)
Phone snatching in Kano may look like a “small crime” on the surface, a sudden grab, a dash into traffic, a vanished device.
But for many residents, it is a frightening, sometimes violent encounter that leaves more than an empty pocket.
It can cost lives, drain savings, erase precious memories, and leave a lasting mark on mental health.
Addressing it requires all of us, neighbours, transport unions, market leaders, tech firms, civil society, and government, moving in the same direction.
The Human Cost
Behind every stolen phone is a person who was threatened, shoved, or injured.
Some victims fall, are hit by moving vehicles during a chase, or are assaulted when they resist. Even when there is no physical harm, the shock can linger, and people begin to fear walking home, using public transport, or answering calls in public.
Families worry when loved ones are late, because a simple errand can turn risky.
The Financial Loss
A smartphone is not just a luxury; it is a tool for work, learning, and daily life. Losing one often means: Replacing an expensive device (sometimes bought on credit).
Losing mobile money, savings apps, or access to banking, especially if SIMs and apps are not secured.
Missing work opportunities for drivers, riders, merchants, freelancers, and students who rely on data and calls.
Paying to replace IDs, SIM cards, and restore accounts and contacts.
For small businesses, a stolen phone can pause sales, sever supplier links, and disrupt payments for days.
The Loss of Valuable Memories
Phones carry our lives: family photos, school projects, voice notes, client chats, and documents.
When a device disappears, it can feel like a small history has been erased; birthdays, weddings, study notes, receipts, memories, and records that are hard to recreate vanish.
The Emotional and Psychological Toll
Victims often describe sleepless nights, anxiety in crowded areas, and a loss of confidence. Children who witness incidents become fearful.
Communities feel less connected when people stop using phones openly in public or stop going out after dark, because of fear.
At least five people have been killed in June 2025 in separate incidents linked to phone snatching and thuggery clashes in Sheka Quarters, Hotoro, and Gayawa communities in Kano State.
Why the Problem Persists
- Hotspots with easy escape routes: busy junctions, bus stops, and narrow alleys where offenders can vanish quickly.
- Markets for stolen phones: street buyers and informal repair points that “wash” devices and resell them.
- Limited reporting: Many victims don’t report, believing nothing will change, which hides the true scale.
- Weak device security: phones without screen locks, Find-My-Phone enabled, or SIM PINs encourage the act.
- Economic pressure and peer networks: Some young people are drawn into snatching by friends, drugs, or a quick cash syndrome.
What Community Members Can Do (Practical, Non-Confrontational Steps)
- Secure your device before you step out.
- Use a strong screen lock, SIM PIN, and enable device-tracking (Find My iPhone/Find My Device).
- Turn on automatic cloud backup for photos and contacts.
- Carry phones discreetly.
- Keep devices in inner pockets or zipped bags on busy roads and in traffic.
- Avoid using phones near bus doors, Keke entrances, car windows, or while walking close to the roadway.
Travel smart.
- In the evening, move in pairs or small groups where possible.
- Use well-lit streets; share your live location with a trusted person when late.
- Build micro-watch networks.
- Street associations, mosque committees, youth groups, traders, and riders can agree on quick, safe alert channels (WhatsApp or SMS trees) to report hotspots and suspicious patterns—no vigilantism.
Help victims recover quickly.
- Share simple checklists at community noticeboards: block SIMs, reset passwords, call banks, and report to police.
- Pair victims with a volunteer “digital helper” to secure accounts and ID replacements.
- Discourage buying “too-cheap” phones.
- Community leaders and market associations can promote a “No Stolen Phones” pledge campaign. If there is no market, the crime dries up.
Positive youth engagement.
Support skills clubs (repair, coding, graphics, bike maintenance), sports evenings, and mentorship that offer belonging and income alternatives.
What Constituted Authorities in Kano State Can Do
- Policing & Justice
- Data-led patrols: Map incidents and deploy targeted foot and bike patrols at peak hours (school closing times, markets, transport hubs).
- Hotspot design: Place mobile police posts or joint taskforce points near known escape routes.
- Rapid reporting channels: A short code or WhatsApp Business line for quick incident logging, with reference numbers for follow-up.
- Evidence pipelines: Encourage shops and homes near hotspots to mount compliant CCTV facing public space; integrate with a secure police viewing point.
- Focused deterrence: Prioritise repeat offenders and handlers (the buyers/“washers”); swift prosecution sends a clear signal.
Markets & Regulation
- Accreditation of phone markets and repair centers:
- Require basic record-keeping for device IMEIs, seller IDs, and receipts.
- Routine inspections; penalties for trading in devices with tampered IMEIs.
- Public buy-back/registration drives:
- Partner with telecoms to run IMEI-registration booths and help citizens set up device tracking and SIM PINs on the spot.
Urban Design & Transport
- Lighting and line-of-sight improvements:
- Fix dark spots, trim overgrown hedges, and reposition kiosks that block views near bus stops and footbridges.
- Safer transit points:
- Clear hawker congestion at Keke and bus loading zones; add simple rails to reduce grab-and-run through open windows.
Digital Safety & Financial Protection
- State-wide digital safety campaign (radio, Hausa/English):
- How to enable device tracking, backups, and SIM PINs; what to do in the first 30 minutes after a theft.
Banking partnerships:
- Fast “panic reset” flows for mobile banking and wallets after device loss.
School and Youth Corps sessions:
- Short, practical modules on street awareness and phone security.
Social Support and Rehabilitation
- Community service sentences and counseling for first-time offenders, paired with vocational training.
- Drug-use support links: connect at-risk youth to treatment and peer recovery networks.
A Simple Post-Incident Checklist (Share Widely)
- Borrow a phone and call your number—if it rings, try to agree on a return; if not, proceed.
- Block your SIM immediately; call your network provider.
- Use “Find My Device/iPhone” to locate or remotely erase your phone.
- Change passwords (email first, then banking, social, and messaging apps).
- Inform your bank(s) to freeze suspicious activity.
- Report to the nearest police station with time, location, and any identifying details (IMEI if available).
- Notify family/work and set a temporary alternate contact.
A Shared Problem, A Shared Solution
Phone snatching steals more than gadgets; it takes peace of mind, time, savings, and sometimes, lives.
With calm, coordinated effort, Kano can turn the tide: safer streets, stronger markets that refuse stolen goods, smarter devices, and faster help for victims.
If communities and authorities move together, firm on crime, gentle with victims, hopeful with youth, we can make daily life feel safe again.
Together, we can stop phone snatching.
Protect yourself. Protect others. Protect Kano.
AIG Fagge (Rtd) is the Executive Chairman of VigiLink, a corporate security outfit in Kano.
