A 50-year-old accountant suspected of masterminding a N150 million burglary in Lagos has been arrested by operatives of the Interpol National Crime Bureau (NCB), in collaboration with the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan.
The suspect, Joshua Ajayi Olusola, who fled to Canada after allegedly committing the offence last July 11, 2025 was apprehended at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) on Monday night, June 1, 2026, following his return to Nigeria.
The suspect, said to have served the family he defrauded for 17 years, allegedly took advantage of their trust while the patriarch was bedridden and later passed on.
Briefing reporters on the case, the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Olohundare Moshood Jimoh said the matter was reported to the zonal command on July 11, last year, which in turn got the Interpol involved by July 16.
Olushola, whose family is said to be resident in Canada, allegedly conspired with six others, all remanded in Correctional facilities, to steal and dispose of his employer’s movable properties valued at over N250 million from their Ikeja residence which they sold to yet-to-be identified buyers.
The suspect, who has remained abroad since the commission of the crime, thought he could re-inter the country undetected, not knowing that he was red-listed by the Interpol.
The deceased’s daughter, according to the AIG, filed a complaint about the fraud which prompted immediate investigation by detectives.
According to the police boss, the complainant reported that she handed over the spare keys to the luxury mansion to Olushola in 2022, so he could have access to the property, especially during rainy seasons, to ensure that nothing is damaged in case of leakages from the roof.
“The complainant further stated that upon visiting the apartment in July 2025, she discovered that the apartment had been burgled and household properties and other valuables worth more than N150,000,000 had been stolen.
Consequently, detectives attached to the Zonal Servicom team (formerly Zonal Strike Force team) commenced a diligent investigation into the complaint and their efforts led to the arrest of six suspects who had access to the properties.
“The suspects were charged to court upon conclusion of the investigation.
However, investigations revealed that Olushola Ajayi Joshua, who also had access to the properties, had fled to Canada in July 2025, and was declared at large.
“Frantic efforts made to ensure he answers to the allegations made against him proved abortive; this prompted the Zone 2 Headquarters to collaborate with Interpol on 16th July, 2025, and caused his passport to be flagged,” said Jimoh.
He said the suspect had made confessional statements under caution, adding that investigators were expanding the probe to identify individuals who purchased or concealed the stolen items.
The police boss reaffirmed the command’s commitment to prosecuting the suspects, noting that the arrest demonstrated that international borders no longer offered criminals safe refuge.
