The Kano Police Command have prosecuted and secured the conviction of about 500 phone snatchers who are currently serving their jail terms at various facility centres within the state.
The Kano State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mohammad Usaini Gumel, told journalists yesterday that phone snatchers are being treated as armed robbers in Kano State.
Gumel said that treating phone snatchers as armed robbers has drastically reduced the rate of phone snatching in the metropolis, as residents can now sleep with their two eyes closed.
He said: “We have succeeded in reducing the menace of cell phone armed robbery in the state. As I speak to you, over 500 cell phone armed robbers have been prosecuted and are currently serving their jail terms at various facility centres within the state.
“Out of 16 hoodlums (Yan Daba) invited for dialogue by this office, nine who submitted themselves have also promised to produce their followers.”
According to him, while waiting to receive the remaining ones, most of the hoodlums who pleaded for amnesty have also promised to mention and produce their foot soldiers in order for them to surrender.
Gumel attributed his success in policing the state to constant collaboration with sister security agencies. “The reward of good work is more work. Whenever somebody says you are good, he is telling you to do more.
“I always tell my officers and men to learn from other places. There is always a need for you to benchmark how other police officers or security agents are doing their work.
“I believe in collaborative policing, bringing all trained law enforcement agencies together to exchange mandates and get the required results,” he said.