A 30-year-old dry cleaner, Ma’awuya Hassan, on Wednesday appeared before a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Gwagwalada, Abuja, for allegedly being in possession of a stolen cell phone.

Hassan, who resides in Gishiri village in Maitama, Abuja, is facing a charge of having possession of property reasonably suspected to have been stolen.

The Prosecutor, Abdullahi Tanko, told the court that the matter was reported by one Bello Ibrahim of Klien plaza in Gwagwalada, Abuja, on Dec. 25, 2022.

Mr Tanko said the complainant reported that on the same day, some unknown persons broke into his shop and carted away different products of mobile phones and its accessories.

He explained that through electronic device tracking, one Itel 32+1 android cell phone with IMEI number 350175448509162, was recovered from Kelvin Maina, of Gishiri village in Maitama, Abuja.

The prosecutor said that Maina named Mashakuru Ahmad, now at large, and Hassan (defendant), as those that sold the phone to him.

Mr Tanko also said the defendant confessed to have sold the said phone to Ahmad at the cost of N15,000 without receipt.

According to him, the offence contravenes the provision of Section 319A of the Penal Code.

The Chief Magistrate, Jacinta Okeke, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N200,000 with one surety in like sum.

Mrs Okeke ordered that the surety must be a Nigerian residing within the court’s jurisdiction and must fill a bail bond form before the court.

She said that the surety must provide a valid means of identification, two passport photographs, address must be verified, and means of livelihood must be verified by the police.

The chief magistrate adjourned the case until October 15 for hearing. 

(NAN)