Cleaner bags 8 months in prison for stealing a colleague’s phone

An Iyaganku court in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Friday, sentenced a cleaner, Tobi Gabriel, 24, to eight months in prison for stealing a colleague’s phone.

Gabriel, an employee of Sumal Foods Ltd, Oluyole, Ibadan, was arraigned on March 9 on a charge of theft, to which he pleaded guilty.

Gabriel also confessed that he sold the Samsung phone worth N208,000, for N30,000.

The magistrate, Mrs Moyosore Atanda, remanded the accused to a correctional facility and adjourned the case until March 13, for review of facts and sentencing.

Upon resumption of proceedings on Friday, the prosecutor, Inspector Elisha Tellang, examined the facts of the case and presented documents, as a result Atanda found Gabriel guilty as charged.

He subsequently sentenced the convict to eight calendar months imprisonment or to pay restitution of N100,000 to the complainant.

Previously, the prosecutor told the court that the accused committed the crime on March 5, at 1.10 pm, at the aforementioned company.

Tellang said the convict stole a Samsung phone worth N208,000 belonging to his colleague, Jimlas Ayeni.

He said Gabriel lent his charger to Ayeni, also a cleaner, to charge his phone, but after some time the latter discovered that his phone was no longer where it was connected.

“After investigation, CCTV revealed that Gabriel had disconnected the phone while he was mopping the floor. Subsequently, the case was referred to the police who charged Gabriel to court to serve as a deterrent to other members of the organisation,” the prosecutor said.

Tellang said the offense contravened section 390(9) of the Criminal Laws of Oyo State, 2000.