Background: Adult intussusception is rare, in sharp contrast to childhood intussusception. It’s often considered a distinct disease entity from the paediatric intussusception because of dissimilarities in the aetiology, clinical presentation and management options. Operative treatment is mandatory for the management of colonic intussusception in the adult patient as many cases are associated with bowel tumours. Case presentation: An 86-year-old male retired civil servant presented with clinical and radiological features of ileocolonic intussusception. He had extended right hemicolectomy. The histology revealed an idiopathic ileocolic intussusception without an associated bowel tumour. He made an uneventful recovery and was discharged on the 8th day after surgery. Conclusion: Adult intussusception is not only rarer than the childhood disease, but requires mandatory surgical operation for treatment. This case involving an elderly patient in his 9th decade of life is reported to highlight the deviation from the usual pattern of presentation of this disease in an adult patient.