“Is difficult to stop robbing wearing hijab is the easiest way to rob people”

Shaibu was arrested by the police last week for allegedly snatching mobile phones and other valuables from some residents.

The middle-aged man, Ibrahim Shaibu of Tudun Nasira in Minna, the Niger State capital, has admitted to disguising himself in hijab to dispossess people of their money and phones.

Shaibu met his waterloo when he robbed one Adamu Usman of cash and handset on Okada Road, at Gbednaye, Maitumbi.

The suspect inflicted knife injuries on his victim’s palms while struggling with him. The suspect told Punch correspondent in an interview yesterday that he had been terrorising Maitumbi and its environs for the past five years.

He said, “Robbing people has become my hobby which I find extremely difficult to stop. At times, I will dress in a normal way as a man before I rob people but now, for fear of being identified easily, I have resorted to putting on a hijab before any operation.”

Shaibu blamed lack of employment for his criminal activities, noting that the economic hardship in the country compelled him to engage in crime.

“Wearing hijab is the easiest way to rob people because it is difficult in this part of the country to suspect a woman to be an armed robber,” he added.

The Niger State police spokesman, Bala Elkana, explained that the suspect was arrested following a tip-off, adding that he had already been arraigned in court.