SPECIAL REPORT: Sorrow and blood; dehumanising tales of ‘phone snatching’ in Kano

Dubbed the commercial nerve centre of Northern Nigeria, the city of Kano is gradually becoming the headquarters of fear, grief and sorrow to the inhabitants and visitors.

It is no longer a news that the  metropolis has for many years been wallowing in a state of quagmire due to rampant heinous activities of phone snatchers who continue to wreak havoc on innocent people.

Promising souls and valuables have been lost to the menace while some victims barely escaped with injuries that will last a lifetime.

PRNIGERIA therefore decided to unravel the underlying issues related to the crime by engaging detained suspects, victims, security agents and others who are knowledgeable about the issue.

It was an Unforgettable Day – Victim Narrates Horrific Experience

Musa Sani Aliyu is a Kano-based journalist who works with Jalla Radio FM. He had a life-threatening experience when he encountered the phone snatchers.

Mr. Aliyu completed his tasks on that fateful day, closed the office and started leaving for home, not knowing that he was walking towards danger. Aliyu was fortunate to have escaped alive after the excruciating encounter, but not without various degrees of injuries that he is still nursing after several weeks of the incident.

In a sorrowful voice, he told PRNIGERIA crew that: “It was actually an unforgettable day on Saturday, 15th of April, 2023 when I was leaving the office for home around 09.40pm.

“I wanted to hire a tricycle that will convey me home but coming out of the office that late and here in Kano metropolis, Keke NAPEP are not allowed to operate from 10.00pm, so I decided to trek to Club Road Junction.

“But before I reached the junction while my phone was inside my pocket, I just heard a frightening voice asking me ‘WHERE IS YOUR PHONE’?

“Before I responded, he had already used a very long sharp knife and cut my finger. He later asked again about my phone while he kept staring at my bag thinking that I kept it there while it was actually inside my pocket.

“While trying to take the phone out of my pocket, the criminal attempted to stab me in the stomach but I quickly used my left arm as a shield which I severely got injured,” he narrated.

Aliyu who didn’t get help on time was dissatisfied with people’s nonchalant attitude towards his plight while he kept on screaming in the pool of his blood, but nobody came to his aid in order to rescue him from this armed gangster that was attempting to end his life.

“I screamed loudly when I got stabbed and this attracted the attention of two passersby and a tricycle rider, however I realised that they were not willing to lend a helping hand to me. So my continuous screaming actually helped to scare the criminal away because of not knowing the consequences that may befall him,” he added.

Aliyu pleaded with the authority to come up with a policy or law that will declare these criminals as ‘armed robbers’ and be treated as such before the judiciary.

“These people can be called ‘armed robbers’ because they are using weapons like cutlass, knife and other sharp objects to dispossess people of their belongings.” Aliyu added.

Nonetheless, Aliyu’s case is one among which can be described as ‘fortunate’ because, scores of victims of this criminality do not live to narrate their story to the world, but end up being killed in the process.

For example, Naziru Chiroma Fagge told PRNIGERIA that Malam Abdullahi – an Islamic teacher by profession, was their friend who was killed around Zungeru Road within Sabon Gari by the criminals after they snatched his phone.

In another painful episode, Ibrahim Musa Ibrahim narrated that it wasn’t long ago that a kiosk operator who charges mobile phones and equally sells phone accessories in Rijiyar Lemo also got killed by these suspects who looted the shop afterwards.

Recently, on Thursday 18th of May, 2023, a family announced the demise of their member, Abba Jaafar, who lost his life en route to the hospital after being stabbed badly by phone snatchers adjacent Aminu Kano College of Legal and Islamic Studies along BUK Road.

How We Conducted Operations – Suspect

PRNIGERIA learnt that most of the time, the crime is committed in collaboration with Keke NAPEP riders.

This was corroborated after our field investigators had a discussion with some of the detained perpetrators at the Kano State Police Force Headquarters in Bompai.

Ashiru Umar (not real name) is a 21-year-old man who until his arrest by Kano State Police was selling phone accessories in Beirut Road – a renowned GSM market in Kano metropolis.

He narrated how he and his friend use Keke NAPEP to snatch mobile phones and inflict injuries on their victims.

“I picked him up on a tricycle from his home and headed to Dorayi where we saw two ladies and he ordered me to halt. He alighted, confronted one of them, stabbed her with a knife and snatched her phone and we proceeded.

“We also went to Jan Bulo and sighted another lady, we stopped, he alighted and snatched her phone after stabbing her with a knife,” Umar said blaming the devil for his involvement in the crime.

An Organised Crime with Chain of Perpetrators

Meanwhile, PRNigeria also gathered that this crime of phone snatching involved a chain of actors that comprised several accomplices with each performing a specialised role.

For example, once a phone is snatched, it will be taken to an actor who specialises in unlocking the phone from the security protection (password).

Eventually, the sim card will be removed and auctioned to a cyber crimes expert who specialises in tracing any commercial bank linked to the sim card and subsequently steal all the money saved in the account.

The snatched phone can then finally be taken to potential buyers or dismembered and sold as scrap in order to evade tracking.

We Don’t Buy Stolen Phones  – GSM Market Leader

While reacting to the issue in a conversation with PRNIGERIA reporter, Hassan Abubakar Bawasa, who is the Chairman of Farm Centre GSM Market in Kano, stated that their members do not engage in the trading of phones with questionable ownership.

Furthermore, Bawasa listed some measures they are taking to scrutinise the identity and ownership of phones presented to them for buying before delving into the process.

“We first ensure that the phone has a receipt and a package which you must present before selling. The IMEI number of the phone is written on the receipt and we will crosscheck to see whether it tallies with the one written on the package before we buy.

“Secondly, there is a form in your capacity as a seller where you will fill in your name , address of your working place or business location and also show us your National Identity Card or any other means of identification related to your working place,” he said.

Bawasa emphasised that legitimate marketers at Farm Centre who have recognised trading spots where they can be found always do not buy stolen phones.

When questioned about the penalty for buying phones with questionable ownership,
Bawasa said: “Any GSM marketer who is caught buying stolen phones will first have his trading spot forfeited, he is banished from the market and handed over to security agents for prosecution.

“However, in the event of accidental or unintentional buying of stolen phones by our member, after due investigation by security agents, that person will be suspended from market for sometime and later reinstated.”

Bawasa commended police for their wonderful efforts but sent a strong message to the Judiciary and the incoming administration to live up to their expectations in ensuring that anybody caught in the act receives the kind of punishment he deserves.

Phone Snatching Becoming Worrisome in Kano Metropolis – University Don

Gaddafi Muazu, a scholar with specialisation in Criminology at the Department of Sociology of Bayero University Kano, expressed his worries over the menace of phone snatching in the city.

“Phone snatching has become a violent form of crime which in the process a lot of other heinous crimes are being committed like threatening, assaulting, wounding and in most cases killing of the victim, thus it has become a point of concern for the citizens and security personnel,” he said.

The university lecturer blamed weak judiciary system, faulty technology, behavioral conduct from the phone users, idleness/laziness coupled with ‘get rich quick’ syndrome among youth for the increasing rate of the crime.

Muazu, however, doubted if unemployment can be among the triggers of phone snatching syndrome in Kano State.

“Unemployment is just one of the causes as they are enormous. However, any mind that wants to steal does steal whether that mind is employed or not, because there are unemployed people that do not steal while there are others who are quasi-employed but also engage in phone snatching,” he noted.

Muazu advocated for a robust legal system and a formidable technology that will render the phone useless after being snatched, while calling on vigilante groups to continue mounting surveillance around their local communities.

Parents Should Monitor their Children – CSOs React

The Executive Director of a Civil Society Organisation, the Center for Awareness on Justice and Accountability (CAJA), Comrade Kabiru Saidu Dakata, emphasised that parents have a great role to play in containing this violent form of social vices.

He noted that, in addition to lack of parental care, high rate of unemployment and drug abuse among the youth continue to fuel this form of crime within Kano metropolis.

“The effect of drug abuse among the youth is that whenever those guys who are abusing the drugs need money to do that, they can do anything including snatching phones, attacking the victims and ultimately killing them by extension,” he lamented.

Comrade Dakata, therefore advised parents to be monitoring the movement of their children and the government should develop a policy to take these youth off the streets by either employing or sending them back to school.

The Executive Director also enjoined the NDLEA and sister agencies to do the needful in tackling the menace of illicit drugs and substance abuse including arresting the major dealers and prosecuting them.

“As CSOs in collaboration with traditional and religious leaders, parents and other community stakeholders, we embark on advocacy campaigns through town hall meetings in sensitising the minds of these restive youth including drug abusers to realise their potential and productivity in life.” Dakata added.

Informants Among the Criminals Making our job Difficult – Vigilante Commander

While discussing with PRNIGERIA reporter at their office, Bashir Salisu Sudawa, the Deputy Commander (2 IC) of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, Chiranchi Command, Kumbotso Kano State, decried how the informants from the criminals camp observe their movements and ultimately send signals to their main syndicate.

According to Sudawa, this has been affecting their operations thereby making it fruitless on several occasions.

“Our major challenge is that they have informants who monitor our movements and gather intelligence for them. Once they observe our presence around an area, they will not dare launch their devilish attack until when we withdraw.

“Next challenge is from parents who used to come and rain insults on us when we arrest their children. They become lust in the love they have for their children to the extent that they don’t see their fault when they commit this crime,” he lamented.

As part of measures to check the activities of the criminals in the area, Sudawa stated that; “we used to identify and raid their rendezvous point. If we find any incriminating materials in their possession, we hand them over to police for further investigation.

“In addition, if we also receive intelligence or distress calls from people about their [criminals] influx in an area, we quickly send reinforcement to intercept and search them thoroughly.” Sudawa added.

Suggesting the way out, Sudawa advised parents to be always vigilant on their children and then called for serious war against drug abuse – being the motivating factor and severe punishment against perpetrators.

Sudawa advised people to avoid displaying their phones in insecure locations. He urged  them to rise against these perpetrators by extending help to on-the-spot victims instead of showing nonchalant attitude.

We Are Working Tirelessly to Address the Menace – CP Gumel

In an interview granted to PRNIGERIA Reporters, the Commissioner of Police, Kano State, CP Usaini Muhammed Gumel, stated that the Command is developing strategies day and night in order to nip this form of criminality in the bud.

“We first have to look at the root causes of this crime and identify locations where it is committed. Currently our intelligence community is working on the issue and they will come up with the dossier on where these incidents are happening and the identity of the group/perpetrators regarding their age brackets, reason for committing the crime and the markets where these stolen items are sold. After this fact finding, we will come up with a roadmap on how to tackle the menace,” he said.

He assured people that the command has the capacity to subdue this challenge while adding that their ‘tactical team’ will soon swing into action.

Notwithstanding, CP Gumel called on the people to complement police efforts by helping them with information that will lead to the suppression of these criminals.

Phone Snatchers Should be Tried as ‘Armed Robbers’ – Human Rights Lawyer

A Kano-based Human Rights Lawyer, Barrister Abba Hikma, noted that the problem of phone snatching will continue to thrive in Kano metropolis unless the perpetrators are considered as ‘armed robbers’ and tried as such before courts of competent jurisdiction.

According to Mr. Hikma, robbery is a serious offense that makes bail difficult to secure and can be entertained in the High Courts.

Also, he explained that there is no need for promulgating a new law for phone snatching as there are existing laws that provide a penalty for crimes of such magnitude.

“Any body caught using intimidation, violence or weapon in phone snatching, then police should no longer charge this criminal with mere ‘phone snatching’ but rather ‘armed robbery’ which can be tried at the Federal High Court under SECTION 2(1) OF THE ROBBERY AND FIREARMS (SPECIAL PROVISIONS) ACT CAP 398 LFN 1990 or and SECTION 299 OF THE PENAL CODE OF KANO STATE which can also be entertained at the State High Courts,” he noted.

Mr. Hikma however, decried how corruption within the judiciary system is fuelling the flame of this crime in the metropolis.

“Firstly, the incidents of phone snatching, wounding and stabbing to death of victims will not stop in Kano State unless our security agents, courts and other concerned stakeholders join forces, work relentlessly towards ridding corruption among people responsible for handling these cases in the judiciary.

“Police are doing their best in apprehending these criminals but there are also bad eggs among them that connive with judiciary workers including judges from lower courts to secure bail for these criminals,” he said.

When asked on whether the perpetrators should face capital punishment, Barrister Hikma said: “Not exactly. If they kill a person in the process of snatching the phone, they should be killed but if they only injure a victim during the process, then they should be served with serious punishment. Because justice should be done to both the perpetrator and victim.”

PRNigeria observes that the issue of phone-snatching is a violent form of crime that continues to pose serious security challenges to the metropolis with debilitating impacts. The monstrous hydra-headed problem has multifactorial causes which make it different to surmount at the moment.

The immediate drivers of the crime include parents having too many household members which they cannot cater for due to social insecurity and thus the children are left at their own mercy to fend for themselves which prompts them to join syndicates of bad elements and start terrorising the society.

Also, PRNigeria understands that the influence of drugs and substance abuse as motivational factors can never be downplayed. To some extent, the effect of poverty and unemployment also causes youth restiveness, thus, making them to commit this kind of unwholesome act.

Notwithstanding, bad governance and a weak judiciary system that is not functioning enough in imposing appropriate punishments against perpetrators is another trigger for the crime.

The present report recommends adequate care for the children by their parents. Government should also roll out policies and programs to alleviate or cushion the effect of poverty and unemployment among youth.

Security agencies should declare a total war against use of illicit drugs while the judiciary should be diligent in penalising perpetrators which will serve as deterrence to others.

This report is produced with support from the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) under the Collaborative Media Engagement for Development Inclusivity and Accountability project (CMEDIA) funded by the MacArthur Foundation.