Writing By Khadijah Aliyu; Editing By Godwin Duru
The streets of Kano, once alive with the rhythm of everyday hustle, now carry an undercurrent of fear.
At bus stops, in traffic and even during a quick stroll to the corner shop, a single thought lingers in the minds of residents: Who’s watching my phone?
What was once dismissed as petty theft has mutated into an organised and increasingly violent criminal enterprise.
Phone snatching now a calculated business is claiming lives, injuring victims, and eroding the city’s sense of safety.
The menace took a deadly turn in early August 2025 when Umar Abdullahi Hafizi, a student of Bayero University Kano, was on his way home in Dorayi when phone snatchers struck.
Witnesses say the attack was swift and merciless.
Umar never made it back.
His killing ignited outrage across social media and street corners alike.
Students, activists, and residents demanded more than just arrests, they called for a dismantling of the networks that fuel this lucrative trade.
According to residents, the attackers are often young men in their teens or early 20s, working in coordinated units of two or three.
They ride motorcycles or tricycles, scanning crowds for distracted pedestrians or commuters with phones in hand.
They are dangerous said a journalist Musa Sani Aliyu who was nearly killed by a phone snatching syndicate.
Business owner Madam Gloria described her experience with the gangs after closing from the market.
“I was in my way home from the market when the tricycle driver different route, they scared me with a knife and took my phone, before I could block my accounts they have emptied all my accounts which really affected my business “
The stolen devices rarely remain in the city for long.
Police investigations suggest they are fed into underground resale networks, where they are refurbished and sold often in other states.
According to the Kano Police spokesperson Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, the command has beefed up its operations leading to the arrest of several suspects and stolen phones recovered.
He explained that, by mid-2025, raids on known criminal hideouts led to the arrest of syndicate members and the seizure of tricycles used in the crimes.
Recall that, in June 2023, the Kano State House of Assembly declared a state of emergency on phone snatching, thuggery, and other street crimes.
Similarly, under Operation Safe Corridor, the Kano state government says it has profiled hundred of individuals linked to such activities.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf through the Commissioner of information and internal affairs Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya pledged his administration’s commitment to eradicating the menace.
Yet for many residents, the operations feel like temporary relief rather than a long-term cure.
The real challenge, experts say, lies in dismantling the supply chain the buyers, refurbishers, and dealers who keep the trade alive.
Reports indicate that phone snatching in Kano is no longer just about stolen property.
It is a symptom of broader social issues of youth unemployment, weak community policing, and the growing sophistication of urban crime.
Many residents feel that until a coordinated response unites law enforcement, government agencies, and community leaders, the shadow of phone snatching will linger over the city.
For now, in the markets of Sabon Gari, the bus stops of Yankaba, and the traffic-choked roads of Zoo Road, the fear persists.
Khadijah Aliyu
