A 23-year-old salesgirl is currently in police custody after being accused of theft of items worth more than N29million from her boss’s store in Minna.
SP Wasiu Abiodun, the PR of the Niger State Police Command, indicated in a statement on August 18, that the salesgirl named Sarah Ogbonna used the money she stole from her employer’s store to purchase household items and rented an apartment for her boyfriend.
SP Wasiu furthered that wired some of the stolen money to her elder sister Mercy Ogbonna, and one Ruth Omor has been indicted in the crime for conspiring to the planned theft.
The statement by the Police reads;
“In continuation of the Police Command’s efforts in fighting crime and criminality, the following recent incidents occurred; on 8th August, 2025 at about 12pm, a report was received at ‘A’ Div Minna from a shop owner at Obasanjo Complex, Minna who deals in phone business,” the statement read.
“The report indicated that his salesgirl; one Sarah Ogbonna 23yrs of Okada road Minna, was suspected to have been stealing items/phones from his shop entrusted to her. He alleged that she had stolen items worth over twenty-nine million naira from the shop.
“Immediately the report was received, Police operatives of the Div arrested the said Sarah, and during interrogation, she confessed to the allegation, stating that she had been working in the shop since 2023 and she wouldn’t know if what she had taken so far could amount to twenty-nine million naira, but a sum of seven hundred thousand naira was immediately recovered from her.
“Her statement led to the arrest of three other accomplices on 9th August, 2025 who are; Ruth Omor Emmanuel 23yrs of Tunga, Minna, Mercy Ogbonna 30yrs of Okada road and Nurudeen Musa 32yrs of Obasanjo Complex, Minna.
“Further investigation revealed that Sarah made multiple transfers of money to her senior sister Mercy Ogbonna who sorts family challenges on her behalf such as payment of house rents, purchase of food items and other needs for the families.
“Ruth Emmanuel was also a salesgirl in the shop, and she allegedly participated in some of the acts before she left, while Nurudeen Musa usually collects expensive phones from Sarah and sells the phones at giveaway prices, rendering short payments for a long period of time.
“It was also revealed that Sarah rented and furnished an apartment at Sauka-Kauta area of Minna for her boyfriend; one Samuel Abiodun Bello currently at large, and she also transferred some money to him.
“She equally claimed that she engaged in a weekly financial contribution of one hundred and fifty thousand naira with a yet to be identified online group.
“However, all suspects are under investigation and the following items were recovered from Sarah, two power generators, one smart TV, one Freezer, four wigs of five hundred thousand naira each, one gas cylinder, shoes, canvas, bags, and clothes, house furniture etc.”
