Nigeria safer from phone snatching than UK, Cameroon, Tinubu’s aide claims

Special Adviser to the President on Economic Affairs, Tope Fasua, has ignited a firestorm of online criticism with his assertion that phone snatching is no longer a significant crisis in Nigeria. Speaking at a private gathering, Fasua drew comparisons to the United Kingdom and Cameroon, suggesting that Nigeria is comparatively safer. This statement, captured on video and widely shared, has been met with derision, particularly as it emerged during a discussion where a woman highlighted the pressing issues of unaffordable ride-hailing services and rampant street crime, linking them directly to economic hardship.

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In the streets of London, go to UK, you see phone smashing. One woman was here from Cameroon. Her name is Victorine. She’s a vlogger. She was here in Nigeria. And she tells you that in Cameroon you can’t hold your phone like this.

Fasua's attempt to downplay phone snatching as a major concern appears to dismiss the lived realities of many Nigerians. He argued that incidents of phone theft occur in other countries, citing London and even Cameroon, and suggested that Nigeria has "moved ahead" from such issues. His plea for Nigerians to avoid "looking for every excuse to put the country down" was met with accusations of spiritualizing structural problems, with one attendee challenging his framing of "mindset" as a solution to systemic economic distress.

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Nigerians have moved ahead from all these phone snatching. It is not a major crisis in Nigeria. I do my walks in the morning. I work everywhere. It’s not an issue. Let’s not look for every excuse to put the country down. It is not every security issue we have.

From a Nigerian perspective, Fasua's comments represent a disconnect from the ground reality faced by ordinary citizens. While official pronouncements may aim to project an image of progress, the everyday experiences of underpaid security guards, the fear of walking on the streets, and the struggle for survival paint a starkly different picture. The comparison to other nations, while perhaps intended to provide context, fails to acknowledge the specific socio-economic factors driving crime in Nigeria. The sentiment expressed by many online is one of frustration that such issues are being trivialized by those in positions of power, rather than being addressed with the seriousness they warrant.

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I feel like you are now beginning to spiritualise the issues in Nigeria when you say mindset, because it’s not actually supposed to be a mindset, it’s a reality.