62-year-old trader jailed 1 year for stealing patient’s phone

A 62-year-old man, Uba Mohammed, was on Tuesday sentenced to one year imprisonment by a Karu Upper Area Court in Abuja for stealing a patient’s cell phone in the hospital.

The judge, Malam Ishaq Hassan, did not give the convict an option of fine, rather warned him to desist from committing crime.

Mohammed pleaded guilty to criminal trespass and theft and belonging to a gang of thieves.

The Prosecution Counsel, Mr Olarewaju Osho told the court that the complainant, a security officer at the Asokoro District Hospital reported the matter at the Asokoro Police Station on March 15.

He said the convict was caught with a Tecno cell phone belonging to a patient, who was on admission in Asokoro hospital.

During police investigation, he said, the convict confessed to the crime.
The counsel added that further investigations revealed that the convict is suspected to belong to a gang of thieves that specialise in stealing patients phones and withdrawing money from their accounts.

The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of sections 348, 287 and 306 of the Penal Code.