Noah Yusuf, the vice-chancellor of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, has advised parents and guardians against buying expensive phones for their children.

“Such expensive items expose such young people to kidnappers, robbers and other criminals,” Mr Yusuf told the university’s stakeholders congress on Wednesday in Ilorin.

According to Mr Yusuf, the quality of phones and similar materials purchased for students are attractive to criminals.

“That encourages them to either rob or kidnap such students in order to steal such property from them,” the vice-chancellor said.

Mr Yusuf added, “While the phone is essential for students as it aids teaching and learning, less expensive ones, which would serve the same functions, can be bought for the students and save them from criminally-minded individuals and groups.

“Buying phones worth N1 million, or with higher sums, for students is not advisable since such students can make do with phones that are not as expensive.”

Citing a recent case, Mr Yusuf said a female student of the university was recently robbed of her expensive phones twice by her boyfriend.

“The boyfriend believed that he would make much money if he was able to dispossess the girl of her expensive phones,” he said.

Mr Yusuf explained that following the first robbery case, the girl’s parents bought her a better and more expensive phone, only for the boyfriend to arrange to steal the second phone.

The Al-Hikmah vice-chancellor also advised parents to cultivate the habit of paying unscheduled visits to their children to know the kind of friends they move with.

“Such visits can help parents to take note of possible attitudinal changes for possible corrections,” he said.

(NAN)