Senior Special Assistant on Media to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Wale Ajetunmobi, has narrated how his mobile phone was stolen and later recovered during the All Progressives Congress (APC) national convention at Eagle Square in Abuja.
Mr Ajetunmobi disclosed the incident in a post on his X page on Saturday, detailing how the device was taken amid a chaotic crowd at the venue.
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According to him, the incident occurred at the VVIP entrance of the venue, where multiple security checkpoints created a chaotic atmosphere.
He noted that confusion at the final checkpoint, compounded by attempts by unaccredited individuals to gain access, led to disorder, during which his iPhone was taken from his pocket.
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“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.
The aide said he proceeded into the venue despite the loss but later tracked the phone using Apple’s “Find My” feature from his iPad.
According to him, the device was first located in Wuse Zone 6, about eight kilometres from Eagle Square, before it later moved to Karu, on the outskirts of Abuja.
He said he contacted a senior police officer, who alerted operatives of the Nigeria Police Force. A team led by an assistant superintendent of police, Isah Mohammed, subsequently began tracking the suspect.
Mr Ajetunmobi said the phone was eventually traced to a roadside car lot near Karu Bridge, where a group of individuals, reportedly returning from the convention, had stopped due to a vehicle fault.
“They asked to see the head of the car lot. An elderly man (looking 60s) came out and he was properly briefed about their mission. The car lot’s head confirmed the people sitting under the shield were coming from the Eagle Square after attending APC convention but their extraordinary SUV (branded with the face of a governorship aspirant in Nasarawa State) had overheating issue. So, they had to stop by for repair before proceeding to Keffi.
“So, the car lot’s head then notified the leader of the group of the presence of policemen and their mission. The leader of the group agreed they all be thoroughly searched. After searching 5 persons, the next person to be searched started getting nervous.
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“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.
Suspected phone thief arrested
The suspect, identified as Mahmoud Abdullahi, was immediately arrested. Mr Ajetunmobi said the individual claimed to be affiliated with the Nasarawa State Ministry of Justice.
Mr Ajetunmobi commended the police officers involved in the operation for their professionalism, noting that their swift response led to the recovery of the device.
The APC convention was attended by top party leaders, including President Bola Tinubu, governors and delegates from across the country.
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