The Senior Special Assistant on Media to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Wale Ajetunmobi, has detailed how his mobile phone was stolen and later recovered during the All Progressives Congress (APC) national convention at Eagle Square in Abuja.
In a post shared on X, Ajetunmobi explained that the incident occurred at the VVIP entrance, where heavy security checks and a surge of unauthorised individuals created confusion.
He said the disorder at the final checkpoint led to the theft of his device.
“In the ensuing disorderliness, my iPhone 17 Pro Max (2TB) was ‘moved’ from my side pocket, which was quite deep. I was momentarily dazed by the excitement of the Governors’ grand entrance into the venue. ‘Where is my phone?’ I exclaimed.
“Everything seemed blank before I came to terms with the fact that I had been robbed. My Charmast power bank and AirPods were the only working tools left on me. How would I work with such hardware?” he said.
Despite the loss, Ajetunmobi entered the venue and later used Apple’s “Find My” feature via his iPad to track the device.
He said the phone was initially traced to Wuse Zone 6 before moving to Karu, on the outskirts of Abuja.
After contacting a senior police officer, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force launched a tracking operation led by an assistant superintendent, Isah Mohammed.
The phone was eventually located at a roadside car lot near Karu Bridge, where a group of individuals returning from the convention had stopped due to a vehicle fault.
According to Ajetunmobi, the group consented to a search, during which the suspect showed signs of nervousness.
“Lo and behold: my iPhone slipped out of Mahmoud Abdullahi’s trousers. The phone was off due to low battery. But I had my power bank with me to power it on. I was told to type my passcode; then the phone came alive,” he stated.
The suspect, identified as Mahmoud Abdullahi, was subsequently arrested and reportedly claimed to be affiliated with the Nasarawa State Ministry of Justice.
Ajetunmobi praised the police for their swift and professional response, noting that their intervention led to the successful recovery of his phone.