How phones snatchers dey put fear for Kano streets
Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
Recently, many women for Kano state, north central Nigeria enta streets to protest phone snatching theft wey dem allege say don dey become rampant for di commercial city.
Di women beg di state govment to stop di activities of thugs wey dey disturb di state, especially as dem dey always collect dia tins anytime thuggery kasala burst for town.
Dia appeal dey come as di rate of phone snatching dey increase and don almost turn normal tin for di city.
Di alleged phone robbers dey snatch residents' phones mostly for night. According to di women, some of di snatchers dey waka wit weapons for daytime, confront pipo and collect dia phones.
One new style wey young boys wey dey snatch phone dey use now na to knock on pesin door, if na woman open di door, dem go enta di house, threaten her wit weapon and collect di phone wey dey her hand, one of di victims tok.
Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images
Siddika Rabi'u na one of di pipo wey dem threaten wit weapon and collect her phone wen she dey go house one evening afta school.
"As I commot from BUK Old Site for Gwarzo Road, two guys stop wit keke napep, tell me say make I give dem my phone. I lie say I leave am inside one motor wey dey near me.
Dem come bring out weapon, I fear well-well, I just give dem di phone witout arguement" she tok.
Miss Rabi'atu still tok say "Afta dem collect di phone, I go sit down inside motor but dem still follow us, tell di driver make e give dem im phone.
But driver no gree give, since e dey inside motor. Na so e rush commot, we leave di place."
Anoda pesin wey no wan make we mention im name tell BBC how phone snatchers almost stab am just to collect im phone.
"I dey come back from work around 9PM wen I jam dem for road, two guys for one bus stop, one come down block me, di oda one pull knife, e no tok anytin, e just try stab me.
I use my hand block am, e injure me, di only tin wey e dey shout na 'give me phone, give me phone.' I just give am di phone, e jump enta di bike and run."
One oda pesin wey dem call Malam Sadiq wey dey live for Kano tell BBC News Pidgin say e sef nearly no escape from phone snatchers.
"We dey inside keke napep, traffic hold us, one guy just point sharp weapon put am on person wey dey sit near me, e almost stab am, tell am make e give am im phone.
As I see wetin dey happun, I jump commot from keke napep, dem collect di guy phone but dem no kill am" Sadiq tok.
"I fear die dat day, since den I dey watch wia I dey waka for Kano."
Most of di pipo wey dey do dis phone snatching wit weapon na young boys, teenagers or boys wey never pass 25 years.
For one recent arrest wey Kano State Police Command carry out, ova 70% of di pipo wey dem arrest na young pipo wey dey between 18-25 years.
Now pipo for Kano no dey feel safe to waka freely once night don reach sake of fear of thugs and phone snatchers.
One source wey no wan make we mention im name tok say most of di stolen phones for Kano dey end up for one area wey dem dey call Birget. Na dia dem dey sell di SIM card to one man wey dey live dia.
"For Birget, na dia dem dey carry majority of di phones dey thief for Kano.
Di pipo wey dey buy SIM card go use am commot all di money wey dey inside bank wey dem connect wit di SIM. Afta dat, dem go carry di phone go market sell am."
Di source still tok say if pesin sabi one big thug for Kano, e fit help am collect im phone wey dem tiff back.
"If you sabi one of di big thugs wey pipo dey fear for Kano, e fit help you collect your phone back, if you tell am wia dem snatch am."
Ways you fit protect yourself from Phone snatchers
Auwal Bala Durumin Iya, na one security expert for Kano, e tok say three ways dey wey person fit take protect imsef from phone snatchers, especially if wahala don jam you:
- Two meter distance: If dem dey close reach two meters, just give dem your phone make you save your life. Later you fit decide weda to run or find justice.
- Four meter distance: If dem no fit reach you immediately, you fit choose to run or shout make pipo notice.
- Six meter distance: If dem far reach six meters, shout loud make pipo hear, or find sometin to defend yourself and you fit also run.
Di expert still give more advice:
- Avoid lonely places: No go places wey pipo no plenty, na dia bad guys dey hide. If you mistakenly enter such place, no stand or waka slow, move fast so dem go know say you dey alert.
- No show your phone: If you dey among crowd, no dey show your phone anyhow, no use cloth wey go expose your phone. If you show am, you dey attract snatchers.
- Watch time: Make pipo dey check time wey dem dey waka, if you waka late, especially afta 10PM, you fit jam snatchers. Avoid public transits wey go pass dark road, bridge or bypass roads for night.
Solution to phone snatching
Di security expert tok say two main solutions dey wey fit help solve di problem:
- Declare emergency law: Make goment declare emergency law on phone snatching and give strong punishment to anybodi wey dem catch.
- Public awareness: Make pipo dey educate oda, especially young pikins wey dey grow. Parents, traditional rulers, teachers and groups suppose dey tok about di danger of phone snatching.
BBC News Pidgin tori pesin for Kano, try reach Kano State Police tok-tok pesin, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, to hear wetin police dey do about di matter, but e no respond bifor we finish dis report.
