PHONE SNATCHING ON THE RISE

One of the most vicious of vices in our society today is phone snatching. This dastardly act is perpetrated by gangs of youth of 15 to 25 years, who carry weapons and terrorise people. In some instances, they injure their victims or even stab them to death. This evil act is usually plotted and carried out at night but sometimes in broad daylight. The youth disguise as tricycle operators. There is hardly a week that passes without a report of a victim of phone snatching.

This activity poses a great threat to the freedom of movement of innocent citizens, making it difficult for them to go about their normal businesses especially at night without the fear of being attacked. Phone snatching continues to be pervasive in different states of the North. It assumes higher degree in states like Kano, Bauchi, Plateau, Gombe, among others. The nefarious activity can be directly or indirectly attributed to lack of parental care and broken homes. Peer pressure is another cause of youth involvement in social vices. The youth who spend more time with their friends easily get influenced due to their weak nature and tender age.

Youth have a high level of curiosity to learn, have fun and practice new things, thus making them deviate. And as the saying goes “show me your friends, and I will tell you who you are.” Unemployment has also added intensity to the crime. According to a report by a global consulting firm KPMG, titled “Global Economic Outlook” Nigeria’s unemployment rate was projected to rise further to 40.6 percent in this year. This revelation is alarming and must be uppermost in the mind of every responsible citizen. “An idle mind”, as an adage says, “is a devil’s workshop”. Parents need to know their children’s friends, status, and other people they associate with. Mothers should be close to their children. Children should be taught the moral values that might help in shaping their cognitive ability.

Sulaiman Maijama’a, Faculty of Communication, Bayero University, Kano