Accountant nabbed at Lagos airport over alleged N150m theft after year-long manhunt
Nigeria Police, INTERPOL Collaborate to Arrest Burglary Suspect
A 50-year-old accountant, Olusola Ajayi Joshua, has been apprehended by the Nigeria Police Force Zone 2 Command in coordination with the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL). His arrest comes nearly a year after he allegedly fled the country during an ongoing investigation into a high-profile burglary case.
Joshua’s capture follows a petition submitted on July 11, 2025, to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police at the Zone 2 Headquarters in Onikan, Lagos. The complainant reported a break-in at her residence on Sesayon Street in the Government Reserved Area, Ikeja. She claimed that unknown individuals had stolen household items and valuables worth over N150 million.
The petitioner suspected Joshua, who had been employed at her late father’s company for more than 17 years, along with six other individuals in connection with the burglary. She granted Joshua access to a spare key in 2022 to facilitate necessary maintenance during the rainy season.
On discovering the burglary in July 2025, the petitioner found several valuable items missing from her apartment. Following her report, detectives from the Zonal Servicom Team, formerly known as the Zonal Strike Force Team, initiated an investigation that led to the arrest of six suspects who had access to the property. Those six individuals have since been arraigned in court.
Further inquiries revealed that Joshua, who also had access to the property, traveled to Canada shortly after the alleged burglary and was subsequently declared wanted. Despite repeated attempts to secure his cooperation throughout the investigation, authorities were unsuccessful.
On July 16, 2025, the Zone 2 Command sought INTERPOL’s assistance, leading to Joshua’s name being placed on a watchlist for international travel. He was arrested by INTERPOL operatives at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja at about 9:30 p.m. on June 1, 2026, upon returning to Nigeria.
Joshua was formally handed over to the Zone 2 Headquarters the following day and is currently undergoing further investigation in preparation for potential prosecution.
