Osun State Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Zungura, on September 6, 2026, announced the arrest of 27-year-old Eyelade Anuoluwa and 28-year-old Abdullah Musa’m’, aged 28, in connection with a burglary in Osun State in which valuables estimated at ₦3 million were stolen, including an iPhone 12 later sold for ₦25,000 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The arrests followed an investigation into the July 26 burglary, with police intelligence leading officers from the Ilesa Area Command to Anuoluwa in Ibadan.
Also read: EFCC Arraigns Two Over Alleged £110,000 and ₦500m Fraud in Lagos
The case was subsequently transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.
According to DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, spokesperson for the Osun State Police Command, Anuoluwa allegedly broke into the complainant’s residence and took an HP laptop, a Dell laptop, an iPhone 12, an Android phone, two power banks and recharge cards.
The combined value of the stolen property was put at approximately ₦3 million by the police.
Investigators said Anuoluwa allegedly confessed during questioning and disclosed that some of the stolen items had been transferred to a receiver in Ibadan.
That information led police to Musa’m’, who was arrested during what the command described as an intelligence-led operation.
Ojelabi said Musa’m’ admitted receiving stolen property and was being investigated over his alleged connection with a syndicate involved in dealing in stolen goods.
The most striking detail to emerge from the investigation was the alleged sale of the iPhone 12. According to the police statement, Musa’m’ told investigators that he bought the device from Anuoluwa for ₦25,000.
The unusually low price has added a human dimension to a case that began with a burglary involving several high-value electronic items.
Police have not, however, disclosed the circumstances in which the alleged purchase was negotiated or whether Musa’m’ knew the phone had been stolen at the time of purchase.
The police recovered several items during the operation, including an HP laptop, a Dell laptop, a small Samsung phone, a mini DP charger, two power banks, an Apple iPad with 16GB storage and a scrap phone.
The recovery represents only part of the property initially reported stolen, and investigators say efforts are continuing to locate other missing items and determine whether additional people were involved.
“The activities of a syndicate dealing in stolen items” are among the lines of inquiry being pursued, according to the police statement.
CP Ibrahim Zungura commended the officers involved, describing their work as a diligent and intelligence-led effort that resulted in both arrests and the recovery of property.
The development comes shortly after Zungura took charge of the Osun State Police Command.
The Nigeria Police Force appointed him commissioner in August following the redeployment of Ibrahim Gotan, less than two weeks after the state’s August 15 governorship election.
Zungura’s arrival has been accompanied by a public emphasis on professionalism, fairness and rebuilding confidence in policing.
During a meeting with Governor Ademola Adeleke in Osogbo in August, Zungura said: “I promise to work with the state government for peace and stability. I will be fair to all.”
The latest Osun burglary arrests therefore form part of a broader period of heightened police activity in the state, where the new command has also recently announced arrests and investigations in unrelated cases involving violence and alleged theft of public infrastructure.
For the burglary case, however, the immediate focus remains on establishing the full chain through which the stolen property moved from the residence in Osun to Ibadan.
The police said the investigation would seek to identify other people connected to the alleged crime, recover additional stolen property and establish the full extent of the suspects’ activities.
The suspects are expected to be charged in court after the investigation is concluded, in accordance with Nigerian law.
The command has also urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity promptly, a reminder that the recovery of stolen property often depends on information gathered beyond the initial crime scene.
Also read: EFCC Arraigns Two Over Alleged £110,000 and ₦500m Fraud in Lagos
For now, the case offers a revealing glimpse into how a burglary involving millions of naira in electronics can lead investigators from a stolen phone to a wider suspected network for receiving and trading illicit goods.
Mariam Balogun is a contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
