Police Arrest Lagos Suspect For Allegedly Scamming 38 Female Kano University Students With Fake Ushering Jobs

Police operatives attached to the Zone One Police Headquarters in Kano have arrested a 32-year-old Lagos-based suspect, Richard Peter, over an alleged fake ushering job scheme that reportedly targeted dozens of female students of Bayero University Kano.

The suspect was arrested after allegedly deceiving 38 female students into attending what was presented as an ushering engagement, only for their phones and valuables to disappear after they were lodged in a hotel in Kano.

According to a statement issued by the Zone’s Police Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Hussaini, the incident was reported to the office of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police on May 12, 2026.

The statement read, “On 12 May 2026, at about 10 a.m., a group of students led by Clementina Paul submitted a petition to the office of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, alleging that the suspect defrauded them under the guise of offering ushering jobs.”

Police preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect, working through an associate identified as Faith Dauda, allegedly invited the students to Mairabo Hotel located in the Sabon Gari area of Kano on May 10, 2026.

Upon arrival at the hotel, the students were reportedly given a room to change into ushering outfits and instructed to leave behind their mobile phones and personal belongings, as they were told that phones would not be allowed at the supposed event venue.

The suspect thereafter reportedly took the students to the hotel restaurant where he ordered food worth ₦6,000 for each of them before disappearing without paying the bill.

After waiting for several hours, the victims reportedly returned to their room only to discover that their phones and other valuables had been stolen.

Police said intelligence gathering and technical tracking later led operatives to one of the stolen phones at Kano Line Motor Park along Zaria Road.

By the time officers arrived, the suspect had allegedly boarded a vehicle heading to Lagos State. However, police operatives intercepted and arrested him in Zaria, Kaduna State.

Authorities disclosed that 29 mobile phones and other stolen items belonging to the victims were recovered from the suspect.

The police added that the suspect is currently being held at the Zonal Criminal Investigation Department and would be charged in court after investigations are concluded.

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone One Headquarters, Kano, Garba Ahmed, commended the operatives for what he described as a swift intelligence-led operation.

Ahmed also warned members of the public, especially young job seekers, to be cautious about unverified employment offers.

“Do not surrender personal belongings to strangers, and verify the legitimacy of employers and venues before attending any engagement,” he said.

He further urged Nigerians to promptly report suspicious activities to the nearest police station.(BusinessDay)