How jungle justice escalates in Kano as phone snatching sparks tricycle burning

Cases of jungle justice are on the rise in Kano as residents increasingly take the law into their own hands in response to the growing menace of phone snatching involving tricycle riders

SolaceBase gathered that in recent weeks, several tricycles have been set ablaze in areas such as Tarauni, Dorayi, Kofar Waika, and, most recently, Dala, among others.

The phone snatchers are said to use tricycles either as a means of escape or to operate while disguising themselves as passengers. While some riders are suspected of directly aiding the criminals, others have fallen victim to mistaken identity.

A tricycle rider, Hamisu Haruna, recounted how he narrowly escaped death at Goron Dutse after he was wrongly accused of being part of a phone-snatching operation.

Haruna said, “I was riding just ahead of the phone snatchers when youths started chasing them. Some of them assumed I was with them and started throwing stones at me.

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“I had to abandon my tricycle and run. If not for elderly men who stopped them, I would have been burned with it,” he said.

SolaceBase observed that when a suspect is arrested, the mob often reacts swiftly and violently. The tricycle is immediately turned upside down, drenched with petrol or any available flammable substance, and set ablaze.

Once the fire is ignited, onlookers gather in silence, watching the vehicle burn to ashes. In many cases, the rider is unable to defend himself, and the tricycle is destroyed within minutes before security personnel arrive.

The Chairman of the Voice of Tricycle Owners and Riders Association (VOTORA), Nazifi Muttaka Bargoni Kiru (Gidan Kudi), said many of the people committing these crimes with tricycles are not legitimate riders but unregistered individuals who rent the vehicles temporarily.

He blamed part of the problem on the high daily payment system, which pushes some owners to hand over tricycles to anyone who can pay—regardless of their background.

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Kiru said VOTORA has introduced a task force, the VOTORA Marshall, to help identify suspicious individuals and is seeking government support to enforce mandatory registration of all riders.

He also condemned the burning of tricycles, calling it an unlawful act, and urged the public to report suspects to security agencies instead of resorting to violence.

Retired General Gambo Ahmad Mai’adua, Chairman of the Kano State Special Task Force Against Illicit Drugs and Phone Snatching, also condemned the trend of mob action and called for public cooperation with authorities.

“Although taking the law into your hands is wrong, people should assist the government in addressing this menace by arresting suspects and taking them to the security personnel,” he said.

He advised that any rider and tricycle involved in such cases should be taken to the Task Force office at the Government House for proper investigation.

“We have a mobile court. After investigation—which won’t take more than a day—the suspects will be taken to court immediately,” he added.