Salesgirl Steals N29 Million, Rents Apartment for Boyfriend – Police

The Niger State Police Command has arrested a 23-year-old woman, Sarah Ogbonna, for allegedly stealing mobile phones and cash valued at N29 million from a phone shop at the Obasanjo Commercial Complex, Minna, where she worked as a salesgirl.

According to the police, Sarah, who resides on Okada Road in Minna, allegedly used part of the stolen funds to rent and furnish an apartment for her boyfriend, Samuel Bello (currently at large), in the Sauka-Kauta area of the city. She also reportedly transferred additional sums of money to him.

The state police spokesperson, DSP Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the arrest, disclosing that Sarah also confessed to investing some of the proceeds in an online thrift contribution (ajo), where she claimed to contribute N150,000 weekly.

Her elder sister, Mercy Ogbonna (30), was also arrested for allegedly receiving multiple cash transfers from Sarah. Mercy reportedly used the funds to cover family expenses, including house rent, food, and other basic needs.

Two others were implicated in the crime:

• Ruth Emmanuel (23), a fellow salesgirl accused of participating in the theft before leaving the job.
• Nurudeen Musa (32), a phone dealer at Obasanjo Complex, accused of buying the stolen phones at cheap prices and reselling them.

The police said the arrests were made on August 8, 2025, after the shop owner lodged a complaint.

“Immediately the report was received, police operatives arrested Sarah. During interrogation, she confessed, admitting she had been stealing since 2023. While she could not estimate the total value of what she had taken, a sum of N700,000 was immediately recovered from her,” DSP Abiodun said.

Her confession led to the arrest of the three other accomplices the following day. Investigations are ongoing.