KANO, Nigeria — The Kano State Police Command has arrested Mohammed Usman, a former convict, for allegedly defrauding women by pretending to offer government assistance through a fake intervention scheme.
Usman was apprehended on July 14, 2025, after a woman reported that he tricked her into handing over her mobile phone by posing as a government agent providing aid.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, revealed in a statement on July 19 that the 27-year-old Usman, from Kofar Wambai Quarters, had previously been convicted for a similar offense and served a two-year prison sentence.
Following the initial complaint from a female resident of Ahmadiyya Brigade Quarters, at least 17 other women have come forward with similar accusations of deception and phone theft, indicating a pattern targeting unsuspecting victims.
The suspect is currently held at the Command’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID). A discreet investigation has also led to the arrest of three suspected accomplices and the recovery of eight stolen mobile phones.
State Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, PhD, commended the public for their cooperation and warned citizens to be cautious of unsolicited offers of government assistance from unknown sources.
Investigations into the matter are ongoing.
