The Kano State Police Command has warned blacksmiths to stop making weapons including knives and cutlasses used by phone snatchers to attack their victims.
The command said it will henceforth prosecute blacksmiths and weapon suppliers alongside suspected phone snatchers in the state.
The command Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), DSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, said the decision is to curtail the menace of phone snatching in the state.
He said: “We have convened a meeting with blacksmiths in May this year to stem the supply of weapons to phone snatchers.
“The command has also ordered Divisional Police Officers to arrest any blacksmith found making lethal weapons.
“We are warning the blacksmiths to know that they also have a role to play in ensuring security in Kano State.”
Meanwhile, some blacksmiths who spoke with Nigerian Tribune said they have since stopped producing the banned weapons.
A blacksmith at Sharada Market, Ibrahim Abbas, said the blacksmiths are ready to comply with any order that will promote security in the state.
Abbas said: “I have been a blacksmith for 20 years and have no profession other than this. I have made tools for butchers, carpenters, and farmers and I’m ready to do anything that will clean the image of my profession.”
Another blacksmith with about 16 years of experience, Muhammed Isyaku, said he and his colleagues will report anyone who orders weapons to the police.
He added that: “With this business, I managed to obtain an NCE and take care of my family so I’ll not do anything that will cause trouble for me.”
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