...KANO, for many residents of Kano, the fear is no longer simply about losing a mobile phone. It is about losing a life. By Al-Amin Cirom...
...KANO, for many residents of Kano, the fear is no longer simply about losing a mobile phone. It is about losing a life.
By Al-Amin Ciroma
Phone snatching has increasingly become associated with violent street attacks in parts of Kano, with reports of victims being assaulted, stabbed and, in some cases, killed while criminals attempt to steal their phones.
The problem raises a bigger question as political activities begin gathering momentum ahead of the 2027 elections... What happens when street gangs and political mobilisation meet?
THE NATIONAL LENS reveals that Kano has a long history of political violence, including the use of street-level groups to intimidate opponents and disrupt political activities. More recently, suspected thugs attacked the popular Farm Centre phone market, with the police confirming arrests and promising further investigation into the incident.
For ordinary citizens, the danger is obvious.
A trader may simply be trying to open his shop.
A businessman may be travelling to meet a customer.
A student may be returning home.
A commuter may have no interest whatsoever in politics.
Yet when political gatherings take over major roads and commercial areas, innocent citizens can suddenly find themselves caught in the middle.
Now, the bigger question;
Who are the young men moving around these political gatherings?
Are they genuine supporters?
Are they trained campaign marshals?
Or are some of them known street gangs being mobilised for political purposes?
This is a question political parties and security agencies must answer before campaigns become more intense.
Because today's political thug can become tomorrow's street criminal.
And today's young man recruited to intimidate an opponent may eventually discover that violence is more profitable than legitimate employment.
And, why are young people joining these unlawful groups?
The answer is complicated.
Unemployment, drug abuse, poverty, peer pressure, poor parental supervision, weak community structures and the absence of opportunities can all make vulnerable young people easier targets for criminal recruitment.
But unemployment is not an excuse for crime.
The overwhelming majority of Kano's young people are hardworking citizens.
The challenge is identifying those being drawn into criminal networks, and stopping the recruitment before violence becomes their way of life.
In this scenario, what shoudl government do?
The authorities cannot wait until people are killed before responding.
Security agencies need to identify phone-snatching hotspots, investigate the networks behind stolen phones, disrupt the market for stolen devices and strengthen intelligence-led policing.
Political parties should also be required to submit rally routes and security plans.
Known violent individuals should not be allowed to turn political gatherings into opportunities for intimidation or criminality.
And government must address the deeper problem by creating genuine employment, skills and rehabilitation opportunities for vulnerable young people.
THE NATIONAL LENS views that Kano cannot afford to allow street violence to become normal.
The coming political season must not turn commercial centres into danger zones for innocent citizens.
Politics should not require violence. Democracy does not need thugs. And no political ambition is worth the life of an innocent Nigerian.
The reported killing of a young businessman identified as Abdulmalik, under circumstances described to THE NATIONAL LENS, is one of the cases that deserves proper investigation. However, until the details are independently verified, we will not present unconfirmed claims as established facts.
The bigger question remains... If the authorities know that violent street gangs are becoming a problem, what concrete measures are being put in place before political campaigns reach full intensity?
Kano is watching.
And the rest of Northern Nigeria is watching Kano.
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