Wale Ajetunmobi, the Senior Special Assistant on Media to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has shared his experience of having his mobile phone stolen and subsequently recovered while attending the All Progressives Congress (APC) national convention in Abuja.
Mr. Ajetunmobi documented the event on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday, describing the theft that took place within the bustling environment of the convention venue.
The incident, he explained, happened near the VVIP entrance where the security screening process had created a significant bottleneck and a chaotic scene. He pointed out that the confusion was exacerbated by unauthorized individuals attempting to enter the secure area, leading to a situation where his iPhone was removed from his pocket.
He recalled the moment of realization, stating, “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 lamented.
Despite the loss, Mr. Ajetunmobi proceeded into the convention grounds. He was later able to track the missing device using Apple’s “Find My” application from his iPad. The phone’s location was initially pinpointed in Wuse Zone 6, approximately eight kilometres from the Eagle Square, before it was detected moving towards Karu, an area on the outskirts of Abuja.
Following his report, a senior police officer was contacted, who then mobilized operatives of the Nigeria Police Force. A police team, led by assistant superintendent of police Isah Mohammed, initiated a search for the suspect.
According to Mr. Ajetunmobi, the iPhone was eventually found at a car lot near Karu Bridge. A group of individuals, reportedly returning from the convention, had stopped there because their vehicle experienced mechanical issues.
He narrated the interaction: “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.
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 recounted.
The suspect, identified as Mahmoud Abdullahi, was taken into custody immediately. Mr. Ajetunmobi mentioned that Abdullahi claimed to be associated with the Nasarawa State Ministry of Justice.
Mr. Ajetunmobi expressed his gratitude to the police officers involved for their efficient response, which facilitated the recovery of his device.
The APC convention was a significant gathering that saw the attendance of prominent party figures, including President Bola Tinubu, several state governors, and delegates from across Nigeria.
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