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.
The victims were reportedly attacked in broad daylight and during nighttime assaults, sparking fear among residents and raising concerns over the worsening security situation across the state.
Among the victims was Yazid Haruwa, a young man from Sheka Quarters, who was stabbed multiple times by phone snatchers inside his room on June 11.
His elder brother, Mukhtar Haruna, said Yazid was stabbed several times and eventually died at the Mallam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH).
“Around 3 a.m., our father called me to say that phone snatchers had stabbed him in the chest. So we rushed him to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital.
"They operated on him, but we still lost him because of the injuries.”
Just a day later, Buhari Imam, another resident of Sheka Quarters and a lift operator at Northwest University, met a similar fate.
According to his uncle, Bello Ibrahim, armed thugs broke into his room at about 3 a.m. and stabbed Buhari so viciously that his intestines spilled out.
Bello Ibrahim, Buhari Imam's uncle
“He was attacked by phone snatchers inside his room. They broke the door, collected his phone, and stabbed him in his stomach, which led to his death.
"The government should punish them based on their crimes. They should not be allowed in communities again.”
Community Effort
In response to the attacks, Adamu Planner, the head of the Sheka Community Neighbourhood Committee, told this reporter that two suspects were apprehended and handed over to the police, thanks to a coordinated community effort.
“They cut one of the victims' stomachs and stabbed the other. They stabbed 3 people that night. So, we collaborated with the police and arrested 2 of the suspects who also reside here."
The wave of violence isn’t limited to Sheka. On May 17th, near the Emir’s Palace, a tech expert and Islamic teacher, Alaramma Lawan Abdullahi, was stabbed to death by phone snatchers after he refused to surrender his device.
From Phone Snatching to Thug Clashes
Beyond phone snatching, violent street clashes have also become commonplace, disrupting lives and livelihoods.
In these frequent turf wars, thugs armed with dangerous weapons attack each other, often harming innocent bystanders.
In one such incident on 30 July 2024, thugs killed a poultry farmer identified as Abubakar in Dorayi Quarters. His grieving father shared the painful memory with Nigeria Info.
“He sells eggs in his shop, so he was attacked there. When he saw them, he tried to close the shop, but unfortunately, he couldn’t. So they stabbed severely. We took him to the hospital and he died the next morning.”
Government Deploys 1,050 Paramilitary Personnel to Combat Phone Snatching/Thuggery
To stem the tide of violence, the Kano State government deployed 1,050 security operatives to 52 identified hotspots across the state.
The Chairman of the Kano State Anti-Illicit Drugs and Phone Snatching Committee, Brigadier General Gambo Ahmed (rtd.), said, “The move is part of its efforts to combat the growing menace.”
Anti-phone snatching paramilitary unit
According to him, the personnel will strengthen internal security and restore public confidence, particularly in urban areas where incidents of phone snatching have become rampant.
General Gambo (rtd.) adds that the government also provided “over 100 vehicles to enable rapid response by deployed officers.”
He said, “We are serious about ending this menace. So we will do everything possible to ensure that we make Kano peaceful again.”
General Gambo (rtd.) also confirmed that “several perpetrators have been arrested.”
Kano Police Arrest Over 300 Suspected Phone Snatchers, Thugs in Six Months
Over the past six months, the Kano State Police Command has arrested over 300 suspects in areas including Sheka Quarters, Hotoro, Dorayi, Kofar Ruwa, Kofar Mata, Zage, Dan’agundi, and Zango.
Brigadier General Gambo Ahmed (rtd), Chairman, Anti-Illicit Drugs and Phone Snatching Committee
Most of the suspects, aged between 15 and 27, were found in possession of dangerous weapons, stolen phones, and illicit drugs. This has raised deep concerns about how youth are being lost to drugs and crime.
Despite these efforts, the problem persists, driven by socio-economic challenges such as unemployment, drug abuse, poor parenting, and lack of access to quality education.
The spokesperson of the Kano Police Command, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, reaffirmed the police’s commitment to apprehending and prosecuting offenders.
“The commissioner of police has ordered the police in the State to intensify patrols and arrest the perpetrators to combat phone snatching and thuggery across Kano.”
Also speaking, the State Commissioner for Internal Security and Special Services, Air Vice Marshal Ibrahim Umaru (rtd.), assured residents that the government is working tirelessly to restore law and order.
“Our mission is clear: no one should be allowed to kill or harm another citizen without facing the law. We are doing everything possible to address this problem,” he said.
As the death toll rises and fear grips communities, the call for collective, strategic action from government, security agencies, community leaders, parents, and civil society has never been more urgent.
It is time to nip the menace in the bud and reclaim the streets of Kano from the grip of thuggery and phone snatching.
