Thuggery, phone snatching becoming history in Kano – CP Bakori
The Commissioner of Police in Kano State, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, has said that thuggery and mobile phone snatching are gradually becoming a thing of the past in the state, following sustained security operations and community-based policing strategies.
Bakori stated this on Tuesday during the 2025 end-of-year press briefing held at the Kano State Police Command Headquarters in Bompai.
According to him, the achievements recorded in 2025 were the result of deliberate planning, intelligence-led policing, and strong cooperation between the police and the public.
“Today, the issue of thuggery and mobile phone robbery is becoming history with the successful implementation of Operation Kukan Kura,” he said.
The police commissioner explained that when he assumed office on March 17, 2025, as the 47th Commissioner of Police in Kano State, a detailed assessment revealed multiple security threats across the 44 local government areas.
“These included thuggery (Yan Daba), mobile phone robbery and drug abuse in the eight metropolitan LGAs; threats of bandit infiltration in 17 border LGAs; and farmer-herder clashes in 19 other LGAs of the state,” he said.
To address these challenges, Bakori said the Command developed a clear roadmap guided by the directives of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun.
The strategies included enhanced community policing, intelligence-led operations, continuous training and retraining of officers, joint border patrols with other security agencies, expansion of the cybercrime unit, and massive public sensitisation through radio, television and other media platforms.
The CP disclosed that between January 1 and December 30, 2025, the Command arrested a total of 3,081 suspects for various crimes across the state.
The arrests included 146 armed robbery suspects, 50 kidnapping suspects, 112 suspected drug dealers, 85 suspected motor vehicle thieves, 45 tricycle thieves, 83 motorcycle thieves, 154 suspected thieves, 56 fraud suspects, and 2,350 suspected thugs.
He added that 14 kidnapped victims were successfully rescued during the period under review.
Bakori said the Command also recorded recoveries of arms, dangerous weapons, illicit drugs and stolen property.
“Recovered firearms included nine AK-47 rifles, 13 English pistols, eight revolver pistols, three pump-action rifles, 37 locally made revolver rifles and 26 fabricated guns, alongside 198 rounds of live ammunition and 28 cartridges.
“Other dangerous weapons recovered were cutlasses, knives, axes, clubs, swords and sharp irons,”he added.
The police also recovered 94 motor vehicles, 52 tricycles, 99 motorcycles, 15 cattle, 145 mobile phones, 20 POS machines, 37 ATM cards and 67 SIM cards.
In terms of drugs, the Command seized large quantities of suspected cannabis sativa, tramadol, pregabalin, diazepam, exol tablets, codeine cough syrup, rubber solution, “Akuskura” and other suspected illicit substances.
Looking ahead, the CP said the Command would sustain and improve on the current strategies in 2026.
Thuggery, phone snatching becoming history in Kano – CP Bakori
