Kano Man Offers Students Fake Jobs and Steals Their Mobile Phones

A 32‑year‑old man named Richard Peter is currently in police custody at the Zone One headquarters in Kano after being accused of offering fake ushering jobs to students from Bayero University.

During the operation, police recovered 29 mobile phones and other items that had been taken from the victims.

DSP Abdullahi Hussaini, the Police Public Relations Officer for the zone, said that a petition filed by a group of students led by Clementina Paul—who alleged that the suspect was from Lagos State—prompted the arrest.

Paul claimed that the suspect had deceived the students by promising them ushering positions.

On 10 May 2026, preliminary investigations revealed that, using the alias Faith Dauda, the suspect had invited 38 female students to the Mairabo Hotel in the Sabon Gari area of Kano.

Once there, the students were told to change into work attire and to leave their phones and personal belongings at the hotel, as the venue supposedly did not allow mobile devices. After arriving, the suspect took them to the hotel restaurant, ordered food worth N6,000 per person, and then vanished without paying.

After eating and waiting for several hours, the students returned to their rooms and found that their phones and other items had been stolen. Fortunately, one of the stolen phones was later traced to the Kano Line Motor Park through intelligence and technical support.

Police operatives then moved to the location but discovered that the suspect had already boarded a vehicle heading to Lagos. However, the police intercepted him in Zaria, Kaduna State, and arrested him there.

In total, 29 phones and other belongings belonging to the victims were recovered. The suspect is now held at the Zonal Criminal Investigation Department and will be charged once the investigation is complete.

Garba Ahmed, the Assistant Inspector‑General of Police in charge of Zone One, praised the operatives for the swift operation and reiterated the command’s commitment to protecting residents from fraud and related crimes.