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The Kano State government has enlisted the support of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the task of tackling the rising incidences of urban criminal activities in the state.
Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, the state commissioner of information, said that the criminal activities that the government is enlisting the support of the CSOs to tackle range from phone snatching, drug abuse, political thuggery, and other related criminal activities.
Speaking during a one-day Stakeholders’ Engagement with CSOs held in Kano, Monday, Waiya revealed that the Government has designed a strategic initiative known as the “Safe Corridor,” aimed at confronting the root causes of insecurity and youth restiveness in the state.
“The government believes that lasting solutions can only be achieved through inclusive dialogue and collaboration. That is why we have convened this important engagement with civil society actors who remain closest to the grassroots and understand the real pulse of our communities,” the Commissioner said.
In the course of the robust discussions that followed, participants drawn from over 75 Civil Society Organisations collectively identified a number of pressing root causes behind the growing wave of insecurity that include family instability and the declining role of parental responsibility, a widespread lack of youth empowerment and opportunities, and the scourge of drug addiction.
They also cited religious and cultural decline, weakened community vigilance structures, and visible lapses in law enforcement as aggravating factors that demand urgent, holistic attention.
In proposing the way forward, the participants recommended a mix of practical, people-centred interventions. These include parental and family reorientation to rebuild moral discipline from the home, revitalisation of rehabilitation centres for victims of substance abuse, and the creation of toll-free hotlines to facilitate anonymous reporting of criminal hideouts.
Other suggestions centred on intensifying intelligence-led security operations, enhancing public sensitisation through drama, community media, and local influencers, and strengthening collaborations with religious institutions to reinforce moral and ethical values in society.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, Inuwa Idris Yakasai, the acting permanent secretary of the Ministry of Information and Internal Affairs, stated that the meeting comes at a time when Kano is grappling with increased reports of violent crimes, especially phone snatching and street thuggery perpetrated by youth under the influence of drugs and frustration.
“These acts are gradually eroding public confidence, discouraging mobility, affecting school attendance, and ultimately threatening the socioeconomic future of our state.”
Yakasai noted. “We are not here to point accusing fingers, but to collectively chart a proactive and community-driven way forward.”
