Kano Engages Youths Against Insecurity, Phone Snatching, Thuggery

The Kano State government has stepped up efforts to combat rising cases of phone snatching, street crime, and political thuggery by engaging hundreds of young people in new security and rehabilitation programmes.

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration recently announced that more than 600 youths have been recruited or profiled as part of a wider initiative to restore safety in Kano’s urban centres.

Many of the participants were identified as either repentant political thugs, suspected phone snatchers, or vulnerable young people at risk of being drawn into street crime.

Officials explained that those recruited would undergo paramilitary-style training at the Kano Corporate Security Institute in Gabasawa, where they will acquire skills ranging from defensive driving to basic security operations.

The government also set up a Special Anti-Phone Snatching Squad, trained to patrol hotspots and curb violent thefts that have become a daily menace for residents.

In addition to direct recruitment into community security support roles, the state has profiled over 700 others for rehabilitation and empowerment.

These individuals are to be trained in trades and given start-up kits to help them earn a living legally.

Governor Yusuf stressed that the fight against insecurity would not only rely on force but also on social reintegration.

The administration has also warned that sponsors of thuggery and phone snatching will be prosecuted, declaring that those who profit from encouraging youths into crime pose as great a threat as the offenders themselves.

Residents have welcomed the measures, though some civil rights groups have called for clear legal frameworks to ensure the new recruits operate within the law and are not exploited for political purposes.

Others emphasise the need for long-term investment in education and jobs to address the root causes of youth crime in Kano.

With phone snatching and street violence long regarded as some of the state’s most persistent security challenges, the new initiative marks one of Kano’s boldest attempts yet to reclaim its streets and offer a new path for young people once trapped in cycles of crime.