Phone operator bags 9 months jail term for not exposing phone theft

A Grade I Area Court in Dei-dei, Abuja, on Wednesday, sentenced a 35-year-old phone operator, Iroko Muyis, to nine months imprisonment for assisting in concealing two stolen phones.

The convict, pleaded guilty and begged the court for forgiveness and to temper justice with mercy, saying he never knew the phones were stolen.

In his ruling, the Judge, Sulyman Ola, gave the convict an option to pay N30, 000 as fine and warned him to desist from committing crime in future.

Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Mr Olaonipekun Babajide told the court that, the convict who resides in Zone 1, Garki Abuja, was charged with assisting in concealing stolen property.

He said Operie Obiajulu of Duste Sokale, Abuja, reported the matter at Duste Alhaji Police station on Feb.14, at about 3:00 pm.

Babajida told the court that on Feb. 13, at about 5:30am, the complainant woke up and discovered his Samsung J9 Pro and A12 phones both worth N90, 000 and N72, 000 respectively were stolen.

The prosecution counsel said that, during police investigation, the phones were tracked and one of the sim card numbers was recovered from the convict.

He added that Muyis confessed to the crime, saying it was given to him by one Yusuf Saheed, however denied knowing they were stolen items.

He said the offence contravened section 319 of the Penal Code Law. (NAN)