Police, phone sellers join forces to tackle handset snatching in Kano

Police command in Kano is collaborating with dealers of mobile phones across the major tech markets in the state, including Farm Centre and Jawwala market to address the trend of phone snatching by street urchins around the metropolis.

Mobile phone markets are the go-to destinations where handsets forcefully snatched from residents by thugs are disposed of.

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Many residents of the commercial city had been killed, some injured by the marauding criminals who move around with dangerous weapons to attack unsuspecting victims in a hunt for mobile phones and other valuables.

In a renewed onslaught emanating from this synergy on the criminals, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operations, Kano Police command, Sule Balarabe said no fewer than 60 phone snatchers have been arrested by the operatives of Anti-Daba unit of the command recently.

DCP Balarabe who disclosed this on Thursday, during a one-day Security Sensitization workshop for Handset Marketers in the state sounded a strong warning to criminals, asking them to renounce the crime and lead meaningful lives.

Balarabe, who represented the State Commissioner of Police, Habu  Sani, at the event explained that the disturbing trend, informed the decision of the Command to organized the one-day security workshop to synergise with handset marketers in the state for a holistic solution.

According to him, “We have enlightened them not to buy used or second hand phones. If they must buy, they must ensure that the seller backs it up, with the original receipt, original packet of the handsets and other evidence that can prove that he is actually the owner.

“We are discouraging handset marketers from buying used handsets, we are discouraging the general public from buying used handsets because of the security implication.

“This is so because, most of these handsets were either stolen or snatched, seized by kidnappers and bandits. When you buy them, that means you may be buying trouble. In most cases, these crimes happen outside Kano, but Kano being a very big market and commercial hub of the North, these Criminals come here to sell them.”