Nigeria is using a paramilitary to combat phone thieves – can London learn from it?

Has Nigeria found the solution to phone snatching?

Phone thefts, which have plagued London for years, show no sign of slowing down with more than 116,000 devices stolen in 2024 alone.

One person every six minutes is still reporting having their device taken from them in the blink of an eye.

The scourge is also affecting one city 3,651 miles away.Kano in Nigeria has endured a surge in phone snatching, with victims even dying in the struggle to keep their devices.

Now the city’s law enforcement has come up with an eyebrow-raising plan to catch the thieves – paramilitary training for civilians.

What does Kano’s Special Anti-Phone Snatching squad look like?

Hundreds of volunteer youths have undergone two weeks of paramilitary training to serve as Special Anti-Phone Snatching and VIP Protection Guards.

Martins Okpuwara, a security operations manager in the country, told Metro: ‘The newly introduced marshals are unarmed and will operate alongside the police, Hisbah, and local vigilantes.

‘They’ll be equipped with radios and motorbikes for quick response and stationed mainly around public spaces.’

At least five people were killed during snatchings in June alone, Weekend Trust reports.

Muhammad Musa said he was stabbed in the hand after thieves surrounded him and fled with his phone.

He told PUNCH: ‘I’m grateful I survived, but these criminals are becoming bolder by the day. The government needs to do something about this menace and act decisively.’

How will they fight off phone snatchers?

The first batch of 380 volunteers, dubbed the ‘Phone Snatching Marshals,’ have finished their training brought in by the Kano State Government.

But there are fears some of the volunteers will be too keen to jump in fist-first.

Martins added: ‘With just two weeks of training, it’s unrealistic to expect them to fully handle knife-wielding or violent criminals.

‘Ideally, their role should focus on observation, early reporting, and helping law enforcement maintain order, not direct confrontation – but that would definitely be tested.’

With robberies often happening in gangs and victims even taken to second locations, the marshals seem to be putting themselves in life or death situations.

‘My main concern is how they’ll manage tense situations like mob actions, especially in a society where jungle justice is still common,’ Martins said.

‘To me, the initiative looks more like a quick local fix.’

Should London have a phone snatching paramilitary fighting squad?

Can Nigeria’s incentive be replicated in London – and do people even want it?

Metro has joined the Metropolitan Police on busts and patrols to find out what is being done to prevent snatchings.

PC Tibor Kovacs said the worst he had seen was 40 phones snatched across four hours.But officers were powerless on foot against the balaclava-clad thieves going up to 70mph on e-bikes.

So should we look to introduce a dedicated squad of civilians in London as Kano has?

Adele Pearson, who has had her phone snatched twice, told Metro at least Kano’s government is being proactive despite putting civilians through potentially dangerous situations.

She said: ‘I think a special force would be a positive thing as the police seem to lack the support needed. At least the Nigerian government is doing something.

‘But I don’t think civilians should really be taught how to fight back, as you don’t know how violent the thief is.

‘I think British police frown at people sometimes for standing up to the thieves and doing the job of law enforcement.’

And that much certainly seems true. When MP Dawn Butler had her phone snatched, she told Metro police were ‘uninterested’ – until she told them she was about to tackle the phone snatcher herself.

‘Just having a presence makes a big difference’

As it turns out, the UK is not too far off from having a dedicated phone snatching citizen patrol. These groups are ready to offer assistance to victims, rather than being an armed and ‘ready-to-fight’ pack.

Ex-police officer Mike Neville told Metro: ‘Unless you are Crocodile Dundee you aren’t going to be fight off phone snatchers as they whizz past you on e-bikes.

‘But if there’s a visible presence of people watching out for them – thieves will be deterred.’

Even uniformed street wardens and neighbourhood patrols can work wonders for decreasing crime.

‘I have just done some training in Bournemouth for safeguarding patrols, and they do have their uses,’ Mike said.

‘If criminals see that something or someone can hinder them, they will go elsewhere. Especially if the presence is uniformed.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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