In an aggressive move to stem the tide of phone snatching, thuggery, and street crimes across Kano State, the government has profiled 718 political thugs through its newly launched initiative, “Operation Safe Corridor.”
The initiative, spearheaded by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration, is part of a broader security reform aimed at rehabilitating political miscreants and restoring public safety.
The State Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Comrade Ibrahim Waiya, stated this during a high-level stakeholder engagement meeting between government officials and civil society organisations (CSOs).
He explained that the Operation Safe Corridor initiative is yielding results, with 718 political thugs profiled and enrolled into reintegration programs.
According to him, the current administration is adopting a community-based, rehabilitative approach that goes beyond arrests by engaging with repentant thugs to understand their motivations and reintegrate them into a peaceful society.
In a presentation titled “Insecurity Around Phone Snatching and Theft: The Role of Civil Society,” Commissioner Waiya criticised the previous administration for allegedly institutionalising political thuggery.
“We don’t just arrest or prosecute; we engage them, understand their grievances, and get them involved in peace-building,” he stated.
The commissioner emphasised that the government’s collaboration with civil society is strategic and non-political, designed to build sustainable solutions to youth-led crimes such as phone snatching.
He also noted that two top officials, the Commissioner of Internal Security and the Director General of Special Services, oversee the program to ensure concrete results, not cosmetic efforts.
Some of the participants, Dr.Musa Abdullahi Sufi, Comrade Haruna Ayagi and Rakiya Abba Tahula, lauded the initiative but urged the government to address the root causes of crime, such as youth unemployment, drug abuse, and urban disorganisation.
They called for ward heads’ empowerment (masu unguwanni) with legal authority to support grassroots security efforts.
They advocated a return to traditional neighbourhood accountability, where communities take collective responsibility for identifying and addressing deviant behaviour.
The event featured robust contributions from CSO leaders who stressed the importance of government-community synergy.
The meeting concluded with a strong commitment from both government and civil society actors to continue working hand-in-hand to make Kano safer through structured engagements, youth empowerment, community policing, and the rehabilitation of vulnerable youths.
COV/Khadijah Aliyu
