A 32 year old Lagos man has been arrested in Zaria, Kaduna State, after allegedly luring 38 female students of Bayero University, Kano, into a hotel and stealing their mobile phones and valuables under the guise of an ushering job offer.

The Zone One Police Headquarters in Kano confirmed the arrest of the suspect, Richard Peter, following a petition submitted to the office of the Assistant Inspector General of Police by a group of students led by Clementina Paul.

According to the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abdullahi Hussaini, the suspect, through an associate identified as Faith Dauda, invited the students to Mairabo Hotel in the Sabon Gari area of Kano on 10 May 2026.

On arrival, the students were instructed to change into work outfits and leave their phones and personal belongings in a room, on the grounds that devices would not be permitted at the supposed event venue. The suspect then took the students to the hotel restaurant, where food worth N6,000 was ordered for each of them before he allegedly disappeared without settling the bill.

"After eating and waiting for several hours, the victims returned to the room and discovered that their phones and other items had been stolen," the police statement disclosed.

Investigators traced one of the stolen phones to the Kano Line Motor Park using intelligence and technical tracking. Operatives moved to the location but discovered the suspect had already boarded a vehicle to Lagos. He was intercepted and arrested in Zaria, Kaduna State.

29 mobile phones belonging to the victims were recovered during the operation. The suspect remains in custody at the Zonal Criminal Investigation Department and is expected to be charged to court after investigations are concluded.

The Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone One, Garba Ahmed, commended officers for their swift response and reaffirmed the command's commitment to tackling fraud and related crimes.

The police warned the public, particularly young job seekers, to be cautious of unverified employment offers and avoid handing over personal belongings to strangers.