Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A 50‑year‑old accountant, Olusola Ajayi Joshua, has been arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police Zone 2 Command in collaboration with the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL), bringing to a close a nearly year‑long manhunt that began when he allegedly fled to Canada after masterminding a burglary in which valuables worth approximately N150 million were stolen. Joshua was apprehended at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, at about 9:30 pm on 1 June 2026, immediately after he arrived in Nigeria from Canada. He was formally handed over to the Zone 2 Headquarters in Onikan, Lagos, on 2 June and is currently undergoing investigation ahead of a possible prosecution.
The case dates back to a petition filed on 11 July 2025 by a woman whose late father’s company had employed Joshua as an accountant for over 17 years. The complainant, who resides on Sesayon Street in the Government Reserved Area (GRA), Ikeja, reported that unknown persons had broken into her residence and made away with household items and other valuables estimated to be worth over N150 million. She told investigators that she had entrusted Joshua with a spare key to the apartment in 2022, specifically to allow him to gain access during the rainy season to help clear water caused by roof leakages. When she visited the apartment in July 2025, she discovered it had been burgled and several valuable items were missing. She named Joshua and six other individuals as persons she suspected of having links to the incident.
Following the complaint, detectives attached to the Zonal Servicom Team (formerly known as the Zonal Strike Force Team) launched an investigation that led to the arrest of six suspects who were found to have had access to the residence. Those six were later arraigned in court after investigations were concluded. However, further inquiries revealed that Joshua, who also had access to the property, had travelled to Canada in July 2025 shortly after the alleged burglary and was subsequently declared wanted.
The Assistant Inspector‑General of Police in charge of Zone 2, AIG Olohundare Moshood Jimoh, told journalists during a press briefing that repeated efforts to secure Joshua’s cooperation during the investigation were unsuccessful. The command formally sought the assistance of INTERPOL on 16 July 2025, after which Joshua’s international travel documents were placed on a watchlist. For nearly ten months, police and INTERPOL tracked the fugitive across international borders until his passport was flagged upon his return to Nigeria. INTERPOL operatives in Lagos arrested him at the airport, and he was immediately taken into custody.
According to AIG Jimoh, Joshua has already made a confessional statement under caution regarding his alleged role in the crime. The burglary itself involved a five‑bedroom duplex in the Maryland area of Lagos, from which the gang allegedly “completely swept away” household valuables. The AIG said the suspect would be arraigned in court after the conclusion of investigations, and that police were also working to track down other accomplices, including receivers of the stolen items. “The value of the stolen property is estimated at about N150 million. The gang completely swept away valuables from a five‑bedroom duplex,” Jimoh stated. He stressed that the arrest demonstrated the effectiveness of the partnership between the Nigeria Police Force and INTERPOL in combating transnational crime. “This is to let everybody know that once you commit any crime anywhere in this country, wherever you run to across the world, you will be fished out and arrested,” Jimoh said.
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