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FEATURE: One year on, Borno Gov Zulum’s public transport initiative plagued by phone thieves
It could be recalled that, in the month of September 2023, Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, unveiled a fleet of 70 buses for metro transport aimed at easing the movement of civil servants and other residents of the state to their various places of work.
On his part, Zulum said the move was part of his administration’s metro transport scheme to alleviate commuting struggles for Borno State resident due to the impact of the fuel subsidy removal.
The 70 buses comprise of standard-sized buses and larger buses to accommodate a greater number of passengers while the 107 vehicles were converted to use electricity and gas to help enhance the use of low-cost energy sources and cheap transportation, which offers affordable transportation at 50 naira per drop. However, the commercial “Keke Napep” is 200 naira per drop.
“From convenience to discomfort, Ya zingile Bus Users battle with rising phone theft daily” said Anas Zakare, a student from the university of Maiduguri. He explained that the name “Ya Zingile” was drawn from kanuri dialect, the dominant residents of Borno State. Which means a ‘long bus’ but despite it’s capacity people, both young and old push each other in order to board.
According to him, some people believe that if they don’t rush in, they won’t get a seat while some are in a haste, so they can’t wait patiently for another bus, incase the bus fills up.
Passengers face increased risk of phone theft, particularly during peak hours when buses are crowded and it’s obvious that the people are more than the bus’ capacity, and the number of buses available at that time. In such situations the bus is over loaded with perssengers and it becomes impossible for them to seat comfortably, as they are jam-packed together.
Maimuna kabiru, a business woman, recounts her experience which was a disturbing incident where a fellow passenger’s phone, worth 300,000 naira, was stolen amidst the rush to board and there was no search measures by authorities or conductors to help retrieve the phone. All the passengers were allowed to alight accordingly.
She narrated, “last week, I decided to go to Tashan Bama from post office through the ‘zulum bus’ it was in the evening and it was taking awhile for the buses to come to our bus stop so a lot of people where already waiting. So as soon as the bus stopped by to pick passengers, people started rushing and pushing just to get in, I decided to remove my phone from my bag, and I held it firmly because I reasoned that someone might just slide his or her hand indside my bag and I won’t get to know.
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“When I got inside, a man wearing a jallabia also came inside and immediately he sat down he reached for his phone inside his pocket but it was gone. He tried searching the people he knew where beside him throughout the struggle to get in but to no avail. He’s phone worth 300,000 naira was stolen within a short period of time”.
She also narrated that unfortunately, the man is a student and he lamented bitterly that all his documents and other PDF handouts were inside the phone and the exams was starting on the 18th, of November 2024, adding, that he just went to post office to buy a new charger and some foods stuffs because his initial charger was too slow so he went to get a faster charger.
During a chat, one of the conductors, Sani Buba emphasized the importance of passenger vigilance, stating that he regularly warns passengers to secure their phones. However, he noted that passengers often ignore these warnings, rushing to board and creating opportunities for thieves to take advantage of the situation. He noted that some times some of the people board the bus with the intention to steal.
He continued by saying that, most times the thieves are unexpected individuals because a girl of 14 years was once reprimanded inside the bus after a thorough search when a phone found on her was confirmed to be stolen.
To address this issue, authorities could consider:
Procuring more buses to ensure availability within the city of Maiduguri, especially at all bus stops because not all the bus stops have these buses.
Increased Security Measures: Implementing CCTV cameras or onboard security personnel.
Passenger Education: Regular public awareness campaigns on phone security.
Collaboration with Law Enforcement: Partnering with local police to investigate and prosecute phone theft cases.
By tackling phone theft, Governor Zulum’s Bus initiative can regain its intended purpose by providing safe, and affordable transportation for Borno State residents.
By: Hauwa Samuel Bah
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