Accountant Nabbed At Lagos Airport Over Alleged N150m Theft After Year-Long Manhunt

A 50-year-old accountant, Olusola Ajayi Joshua, has been arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, nearly a year after he allegedly fled Nigeria while under investigation for a burglary case involving property worth more than N150 million.

The arrest was made through a joint effort between the Nigeria Police Force Zone 2 Command and the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL).

The case began after a petition dated July 11, 2025, was submitted to the Office of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police at the Zone 2 Headquarters in Onikan, Lagos. The petitioner reported that unknown individuals had broken into her residence on Sesayon Street in the Government Reserved Area (GRA), Ikeja, and stolen household items and other valuables valued at over N150 million.

The woman alleged that Joshua, who had worked as an accountant in her late father’s company for more than 17 years, and six other individuals, may have been connected to the burglary.

According to her, she had given Joshua a spare key to the apartment in 2022 so he could access the property when necessary, especially during the rainy season, to help clear water caused by roof leakages.

She said that when she visited the apartment in July 2025, she discovered it had been broken into and several valuable items were missing.

Following the complaint, detectives attached to the Zonal Servicom Team, formerly known as the Zonal Strike Force Team, launched an investigation. Their efforts led to the arrest of six suspects who allegedly had access to the residence.

The six suspects were later arraigned in court after investigations were completed.

Police said further investigations revealed that Joshua, who also had access to the property, travelled to Canada in July 2025 shortly after the alleged burglary and was subsequently declared wanted.

Speaking while parading the suspect, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2, AIG Olohundare Jimoh, said repeated attempts to get Joshua to cooperate with investigators were unsuccessful.

According to Jimoh, the command sought INTERPOL’s assistance on July 16, 2025, which resulted in the suspect’s international travel documents being placed on a watchlist.

The police chief disclosed that INTERPOL operatives in Lagos arrested Joshua at about 9:30 p.m. on June 1, 2026, immediately after he arrived in Nigeria.

He added that the suspect was formally handed over to the Zone 2 Headquarters on June 2, 2026, and is currently undergoing further investigation ahead of possible prosecution.