Wale Ajetunmobi, an aide to the Lagos state Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has narrated how his expensive phone was stolen at the just concluded National Convention of the All Progressive Congress (APC), in Abuja, the nation’s federal capital, and with the help of tracker and police, was recovered from the official of the Ministry of Justice, Nasarawa State, at a Mosque in Karu, Nasarawa State.
Ajetunmobi said that he returned to his hotel on that day to find that his phone had been stolen.
”I opened my iPad and tracked the whereabouts of my missing iPhone: 17 Pro Max. To my surprise, the device was already in Wuse Zone 6, about 8 kilometers away from Eagle Square where it was picked.
“I called the phone repeatedly but no answer. I texted it, pleading, as it is my main workstation. “The ‘Mover’ didn’t move. I could not sleep. I managed to sleep around 3:50am and woke up by 5:30am. After I prayed Fajr, I started tracking the iPhone again on my “Find My” app.”
“My tracking of the device showed the phone was geo-located to a house in Wuse Zone 6 but the map would not show the street name.
“I was curious. I placed a call to a top police officer in Abuja for help. He quickly contacted Mr. Victor Geoffrey, an Assistant Commissioner of Police and Commander of Scorpion Squad, Abuja, who immediately activated his team for recovery of the phone.
“The police team, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Isah Mohammed, started trailing and tracking the suspect who stole the phone… at 8:20am. At 10:50am, we tracked the iPhone to a location in Karu, near NNPC Filling Station.
“The policemen called me and asked me to join them. I was tracking from my iPad and the distance was closing in on the phone.
“At a roadside car lot close to Karu Bridge, my iPad beeped and showed my phone was close to where my driver (Mallam Idrissa) and I parked our vehicle.
“I came down and walked into the car lot; the 3D map of “Find My” app led me to a shield that looked like a makeshift mosque where some 15 people (mostly in their 50s) were sitting and chatting away.
“I pretended I wanted to pray. As I sat on a bench, then my iPad beeped and indicated the phone was exactly where I sat. I signaled at the police clad in mufti, who were stealthily following me, and they moved in.
“At that point that he witnessed real professionalism displayed by the policemen.
“I was impressed. 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.
“It was here the man informed 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 five 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. “Mahmoud Abdullahi, who claimed to be working with Nasarawa State Ministry of Justice, stole my phone during the chaotic moment at the VVIP entrance of the Eagle Square. The suspect was arrested… Many thanks to these highly professional men of Nigeria Police Force.
“This crime-busting team led by ASP Isah Mohammed comprises ASP Douglas Ishaku, Inspector John Emmanuel and Inspector Gana Mohammed. These guys are wonderful.”
