I am using this opportunity to call on the Katsina State Government, teachers, parents, and the entire Katsina State community to take urg...
I am using this opportunity to call on the Katsina State Government, teachers, parents, and the entire Katsina State community to take urgent action on the emerging problem of phone snatching before it escalates into a more serious crisis.
During this year’s Maulid celebrations, the youth in the state have taken advantage of the occasion to terrorise innocent citizens. From the very first day of the Maulid for Islamic students, reports have emerged of young people snatching phones from men, women, and children across different locations within Katsina city.
Shockingly, during the visit to the residence of the late Sheikh Shareef Abba Abu Rafindadi, a similar incident occurred again. These incidents happen frequently, and the perpetrators seem well-trained in their criminal activities. Often, they move in large groups, start fights to create a distraction, and then carry out their thefts.
The situation worsened on the day of the Maulid parade. Many people were robbed, and their phones forcibly taken — particularly along the routes from Kofar Yandaka to Rafindadi, and from Rafindadi to Mobil. In some locations between Mobil and behind Sajuma, individuals were seen engaging in illicit acts, including the open sale of women and the public display of alcohol — all in the presence of security personnel.
Even more disturbing is the role of some Maulid celebrants in enabling these incidents. Many deliberately remain in the streets until late at night. This is especially common around the areas between the prison and Kofar Yandaka. Local men and women also use this time to sing and make noise, which adds to the chaos.
Tragically, two people were nearly killed in phone-snatching attempts. The first was a young businessman, Alhaji Usman Marwan, popularly known as UK Technology, who was stabbed at his shop near the MTN office in Kofar Kaura at around 10 p.m. The second was a young man stabbed while selling rice at the market.
My appeals are as follows:
1. The government should make a firm decision that starting next year, no Maulid activities should be allowed after Maghrib prayers. Anyone found loitering at night, whether from a school, Sha’irai group, youth group, or other institutions, should face a three-month suspension or ban. A community-based youth task force should also be created to monitor movement during this period.
2. The Katsina State House of Assembly should urgently pass a law criminalising phone snatching, the use of weapons, and other acts of terror. A special committee should be set up to investigate Maulid-related incidents and recommend enforceable laws and regulations.
3. Religious scholars should convene to critically reflect on the root causes of these negative incidents during Maulid celebrations across the state. The current trend is unacceptable — it is disorganised, unethical, and shows a lack of both religious and cultural discipline.
4. Security agencies should deploy their professional expertise and collaborate with neighbourhood informants to identify and apprehend those who have terrorised the community during the Maulid period. Furthermore, security personnel must stop acting like bandits themselves by carelessly using weapons during public and religious gatherings.
5. Lastly, politicians must stop engaging and manipulating the youth for political gains. If urgent action is not taken, phone snatching and thuggery could evolve into full-scale banditry within Katsina city — a city already affected by insecurity in some local government areas.
zahradeensirajoabbas@gmail.com
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