By Khadija Aliyu.
The streets of Kano, once alive with the rhythm of everyday hustle, now carries 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 of 2025 when Umar Abdullahi Hafizi, a student of Bayero University Kano, on his way home around Dorayi in Kano metropolis was struch by phone snatchers struck.
Umar never made it back from the attack that witnesses described as swift amd merciless.
His killing ignited outrage across social media and street corners alike with Students, activists, and residents demanding more than just arrests, but the dismantling of the networks that fuels the 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 at hand.
A journalist who nearly lost his life to the snatching syndicate, Musa Sani Aliyu described them as Dangerous.
A Business owner from one of the popular markets Madam Gloria narrated her ordeal with the gangs after closing hours.
“I was on my way home from the market when a tricycle rider from a different route, 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 as Police investigations suggest they are fed into underground resale networks, where they are refurbished and sold often in other states.
The Spokesperson to the Kano Police, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa said the command has beefed up operations leading to the arrest of several suspects and recovery of stolen phones.
He explained that currently the command has raided known criminal hideouts leading 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 hundreds of individuals linked to such activities.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf through the Commissioner of Information and Internal Affairs Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya pledged commitment to eradicating the menace.
As many residents feel that the operations are more like a temporary relief than a long-term cure, experts say the real challenge lies in dismantling the supply chain which include the buyers, refurbishers, and dealers who keep the trade alive.
Reports indicate that Phone snatching in Kano is no longer just about stolen property, but a symptom of broader social issues such as youth unemployment, weak community policing, and the growing sophistication of urban crimes.
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 Zoo Road, the terror persists.