Police authorities said 29 mobile phones and other valuables stolen from the victims were recovered during the operation.
The arrest was confirmed by the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abdullahi Hussaini.
The suspect, who is from Lagos State, was apprehended after a petition was submitted to the office of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police by a group of students led by Clementina Paul.
The students accused the suspect of luring them with promises of ushering jobs before allegedly stealing their belongings.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect, through an associate identified as Faith Dauda, invited 38 female students to Mairabo Hotel in the Sabon Gari area of Kano on May 10, 2026.
On arrival, the students were reportedly instructed to change into work outfits and leave behind their phones and personal belongings, with claims that phones would not be allowed at the supposed event venue.
The police said the suspect later 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 statement said.
Investigators later 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 heading to Lagos. He was eventually intercepted and arrested in Zaria, Kaduna State.
The police said the recovered items included 29 mobile phones belonging to the victims, adding that the suspect remains in custody at the Zonal Criminal Investigation Department.
He is expected to be charged to court after the conclusion of investigations.
The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone One, Garba Ahmed, commended officers involved in the operation for their swift response and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to tackling fraud and related crimes.
The police also warned the public, especially young job seekers, to be cautious of unverified employment offers and avoid handing over personal belongings to strangers.
