A Nigerian man who allegedly stole an iPhone 14 Pro Max from a boutique in Abuja while the store owner and sales rep were fast asleep has been caught.
The incident, which was captured by CCTV, went viral after being posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). In the footage, the man is seen entering the store, observing that both staff members were sleeping, and then stealthily stealing a phone that was charging behind a table. He later picked up a second device before quietly leaving the premises.
Unaware of the surveillance camera, the suspect acted calmly during the theft. However, the video circulated widely online, leading to his identification and arrest. A follow-up clip shows the suspect sitting on the floor, seemingly after being caught.
The incident sparked a flood of reactions online:
- @itsnrman: “How was he caught so fast? That’s impressive.”
- @official_papson: “Strip him and march him from Gwarimpa to Wuse 2 with flogging – forget the constitution sometimes.”
- @UTDvicton: “Use Oraimo cord on his neck and two-by-two on his chest.”
- @OCblack127: “See how phone thieves are beaten, but those stealing billions get called ‘Oga’. Only in Nigeria.”
- @LarryAngel08: “He should be beaten thoroughly before handing him over to the police. They’ll probably release him anyway.”
- @IktGadget: “No mercy, beat the nonsense out of him.”
Watch the viral video below…
CCTV footage captured the moment a man støle an iPhone 14 Pro Max from a shop in Abuja yesterday while both the owner and the salesgirl were asleep😳🙆 pic.twitter.com/p95kbMsGnI
— CHUKS 🍥 (@ChuksEricE) May 8, 2025