A supposed ‘Good Samaritan’ at the University College Hospital (UCH), Chukwudi Stanley, was on Thursday arraigned in court for allegedly stealing a Samsung mobile phone, valued at N133,000.
The 44-year-old defendant, standing before Mrs O. O. Latunji, the president of the Chief Magistrates’ Court, Mapo, Ibadan, was, however, remanded in Agodi Correctional Centre.
Latunji ordered Stanley’s remand with a bail condition of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum after he had pleaded not guilty to the one-court charge of stealing against him.
Subsequently, she adjourned the suit until May 27 for trial.
The prosecution, Insp Oluseye Akinola, had told the court that the defendant allegedly committed the crime on April 11, at about 2.20 p.m., within the premises of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.
Akinola said the defendant pretended to be a Good Samaritan by offering free services to the complainant, Patient Maduka, who was at UCH for medical attention.
According to the prosecutor, the defendant assisted Maduka by carrying her handbag and her crying baby, thus giving the impression of a caring hospital worker.
“Maduka only realised that Stanley had stolen her phone after he had completed his unsolicited services and left.
“UCH workers, who were there when she raised an alarm, said they felt Maduka and Stanley were relatives, going by how he related to her.
“Luck, however, ran out on him when the complainant caught him on another day, as she came back for the result of her medical test,” the prosecutor said.
He noted that the investigation by the security department at UCH revealed that the defendant was a staff member of Konif Security Limited in Ibadan.
The prosecution said Stanley confessed in his statement to the police to have sold the phone for N15,000 to a passerby at the Mokola Roundabout area of Ibadan.
According to the prosecutor, the offence contravenes the provisions of Section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Cap 38 Vol. II, Law of Oyo State 2000.
