HEALING THE HEART OF KANO: United We Secure, Divided We Bleed.

 HEALING THE HEART OF KANO: United We Secure, Divided We Bleed.

By Tijjani Sarki, Good Governance Advocate and Public Policy Analyst

In the bustling heart of Northern Nigeria, where the ancient walls of Kano still whisper the glories of trade and culture, a new and heartbreaking cry rises through the alleyways and crowded markets the cry of insecurity. What began as isolated acts of phone snatching and street thuggery has now grown into a devastating epidemic, casting a dark shadow over the future of this once-thriving commercial capital.

On Monday, 14th July 2025, I was privileged to attend a one-day stakeholders’ interaction meeting a courageous initiative brought forth by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in partnership with the Kano State Government. But it was more than just a meeting. It was a mirror held up to the soul of our city a mirror reflecting pain, frustration, and a glimmer of hope. A gathering of hearts torn by grief but united by purpose. We were not just discussing policy. We were pleading for a future.

I extend heartfelt appreciation to the Executive Governor of Kano State, Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf, for creating the enabling environment for such timely dialogue. Special gratitude must go to the Honourable Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, under whose visionary leadership this initiative was championed. His voice echoed clearly at the event, urging stakeholders to look beyond reactive enforcement and embrace inclusive peace building, strategic community engagement, and preventive action.

But while these efforts are commendable, they are not enough.

Kano is not short of institutions. We have a Ministry of Internal Security and Special Duties, a Ministry of Information and Internal Affairs, a robust security committee, and now, a newly enacted Kano State Neighbourhood Watch Guard law. We are blessed with Emirate Councils, vibrant CSOs, CBOs, and dedicated vigilante groups. So why, then, is our youth still lost to the streets? Why is phone snatching still ravaging our markets and destroying our peace?

The bitter truth is this, we are not lacking in structures, we are lacking in sincerity and continuity.

The recently launched Operation Safe Kano is a laudable step in the right direction. With 718 political thugs already profiled for rehabilitation and reintegration, it is proof that change is possible. But as one CSO leader at the meeting bluntly put it:

> "If we do not move from profiling to empowering (truly empowering)we are simply delaying the next crisis."

Many of these youths, once feared as thugs, are not criminals by choice they are victims of neglect, of poverty, of a system that never saw them beyond their mistakes. If we keep failing them, they will keep failing us.

The meeting echoed a painful truth, our past interventions failed because they were often ill-conceived, lacked clear objectives, and most damning of all they had no continuity plans.

> “We cannot fight a generational problem with seasonal solutions,” lamented another speaker.

One critical issue that dominated the conversation was the scandal of out-of-school children and school dropouts. These young, energetic minds unattended, untrained, and uninspired have become easy prey for the streets.

As the old adage goes, “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” And sadly, Kano’s streets today have become a bustling workshop for despair, addiction, and crime.

We must see these youths not as threats, but as untapped assets. We must engage them meaningfully, according to their age, skills, and interests with sustainable, life-enhancing programs that inspire hope, not just temporary relief.

These boys and girls should be in classrooms, not correctional facilities. They should be learning skills, not learning to steal. Their hands should be building Kano’s economy, not snatching its phones.

The interaction meeting did not just diagnose the disease. It prescribed the cure thus:

i.Strong collaboration between government and grassroots communities.

ii.Active participation of traditional leaders, vigilante groups, and religious institutions.

iii.Targeted empowerment, tailored to the specific needs of the youth.

iv.Long-term coaching and mentoring, not one-off handouts.

v.Consistent monitoring and evaluation, to ensure no one is left behind.

To truly break the cycle of youth thuggery and insecurity, a strategic, humane plan must be urgently implemented one that involves camping repented youth in a safe, structured environment where they can be coached, mentored, and motivated through tailored livelihood and psychosocial support programs before they are reintegrated into society. These young lives deserve more than a second chance they deserve a real opportunity to heal and rebuild.

We must also acknowledge the commendable step by the Kano State Government in inaugurating a high-level committee under the leadership of the Senior Special Assistant on Reformatory Centres and Drug Abuse, tasked with assessing the revival of traditional reformatory centres (Gidan Mari). This is a step in the right direction. However, this process must not be delayed. It must be carried out with immediate effect, guided by empathy and strategic foresight.

Furthermore, it is imperative that the government revitalize, standardize, and formalize these historically impactful centres, which were injudiciously closed by previous administrations, denying countless youths a culturally grounded path to redemption. Let us act now with caution, with compassion, and with a deep sense of urgency before more lives are lost to the streets.

If we do not act now, we risk raising a generation that knows nothing but crime and chaos. A generation whose backs are turned on books and turned toward brutality.

How long will mothers keep weeping for sons lost to the streets? How long will traders clutch their wares in fear, never knowing who might strike next? How long will students walk with trembling steps, fearing the hand of a thief more than the pressure of exams?

Kano is the center of commerce, yes. But commerce cannot breathe where security is strangled. Our economy cannot grow on shaky foundations built on fear and broken dreams.

The solutions are here. The structures exist. The youth are ready. What remains is for all stakeholders to summon the will the political will, the moral will, the communal will to make these programs work, and to ensure they last.

Let it never be said that we had everything but did nothing.

Let it be written in our history that Kano chose courage over complacency, sincerity over slogans, and action over apathy.

Let it be said that when our city bled, we rose to heal it with heart, with hope, and with unity.

Tijjani Sarki

Vice President, Human Rights Watch Foundation Nigeria

16th July 2025