The Kano State Shari’ah Commission has raised an alarm over the growing incidents of phone snatching in the state, calling on parents to take a more active role in guiding their children away from criminal activities.

During a courtesy visit to the Kano State Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim A. Bakori, the Chairman of the Commission, Sheikh Abbas Abubakar Daneji, highlighted how crucial parental involvement is in tackling youth involvement in crimes like phone theft.

“This unfortunate incident is increasing by the day,” Sheikh Daneji lamented. “While the Commission has a key role in addressing this menace, we cannot succeed without the support of all stakeholders, especially parents and community members.”

He urged parents to be more vigilant and revive the traditional culture of closely monitoring their children’s behavior, stressing, “I am calling on parents to wake up from slumber and take full responsibility for guiding their children on how to behave properly, just as parents did in the past in our society.”

Sheikh Daneji explained that although the Commission’s main duty is to educate people about right and wrong from a religious standpoint, collaboration with law enforcement is essential since they have the authority to arrest and prosecute offenders.

“Our duty is to inform people about what is right and wrong from a religious perspective. But we also need the police and other agencies who have the power to enforce the law,” he said.

The Shari’ah Chairman further revealed that the Commission recently met with the Chief Judge of Kano State, who expressed the judiciary’s readiness to support initiatives aimed at tackling phone theft. Discussions are underway to end the practice of letting phone thieves simply pay fines as punishment — a move that could make the penalties more severe and act as a stronger deterrent.

In his response, CP Ibrahim Bakori welcomed the Commission’s visit and described it as very timely. He assured the delegation that the police command would continue to work closely with all relevant stakeholders to combat criminal activities across Kano State.

As phone snatching becomes a growing concern, both religious and law enforcement leaders in Kano are calling for stronger family guidance and community support to steer young people away from crime.